Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Scenes from the Life of Christ and the Life of Blessed Gerard of Villamagna

001. MS M.643, fol. 1v (Miniature no. 1)
002. MS M.643, fol. 2r (Miniature no. 2)
003. MS M.643, fol. 2v (Miniature no. 3)
004. MS M.643, fol. 3r (Miniature no. 4)
005. MS M.643, fol. 3v (Miniature no. 5)
006. MS M.643, fol. 4r (Miniature no. 6)
007. MS M.643, fol. 4v (Miniature no. 7)
008. MS M.643, fol. 05r (Miniature no. 8)
009. MS M.643, fol. 5v (Miniature no. 9)
010. MS M.643, fol. 6r (Miniature no. 10)
011. MS M.643, fol. 6v (Miniature no. 11)
012. MS M.643, fol. 7r (Miniature no. 12)

This unusual picture book contains thirty-eight full-page illuminations by the Florentine illuminator Pacino di Bonaguida (ca. 1280-1340) and his workshop. The pictures include two from the Old Testament, thirty-two from the life of Christ, and four from the life of Blessed Gerard of Villamagna. The images contain some unusual iconography. On folio 12, for example, Christ climbs a ladder to his cross—indicative of his willingness to sacrifice his life for humankind. Folio 19v shows the funeral of Blessed Gerard: guards were needed to keep order, so many were those who came to see his body, and his coffin had to be positioned in a tree!