Manuscript Illumination with the Presentation in the Temple in an Initial S, from a Gradual 1450 - 1460

Cosmè Tura painted this manuscript illumination with the Presentation in the Temple in an Initial S, in the mid-fifteenth century. The page comes from a gradual, a book of chants used in the Catholic Mass. The large initial "S" marks the start of a specific chant. It's illuminated with a scene of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem, forty days after his birth, an event mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. Tura's rendering, with its flat planes and stylized figures, draws on the artistic conventions of his time in Ferrara, Italy. Manuscript illumination was a significant art form in the medieval period and Renaissance. These illuminated manuscripts were often commissioned by wealthy patrons or religious institutions, reflecting the close ties between art, religion, and power. The Reformation would soon challenge the power of these institutions, however, and the tradition of manuscript illumination would diminish with the rise of print. Historians consult account books and commission records, along with church and government archives, to better understand the social and economic forces that gave rise to such works of art.