BIRTH OF THE BAPTIST, miniature on vellum illuminated by Simonzio Lupi da Bergamo [Bergamo, c.1556-1575]
Lot 37

BIRTH OF THE BAPTIST, miniature on vellum illuminated by Simonzio Lupi da Bergamo [Bergamo, c.1556-1575]

Closed11 July 2018

Price Realised

GBP 6,875

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BIRTH OF THE BAPTIST, miniature on vellum illuminated by Simonzio Lupi da Bergamo [Bergamo, c.1556-1575]

A splendid miniature securely attributed by E. De Laurentiis to Simonzio Lupi da Bergamo, the artist responsible for the illustration of the celebrated Triumphs of Charles V at the British Library (Ms. Add. 33733).

133 x 180mm, the reverse with a prayer to Saint Bartholomew numbered 10 written in a 17th-century roman hand, in a double-sided frame.

Provenance: The miniature is from a Collectar that was produced for Francesco Maria II Della Rovere (1548-1631), Duke of Urbino. The preceding leaf in the Collectar with the Martyrdom of St Bartholomew is now in the British Library (Ms. Add. 46365B): the text on the present leaf would have faced the British Library leaf — Vittoria Della Rovere (1622-1694), Grand duchess of Tuscany.

See E. De Laurentiis, 'La collezione di "Italian illuminated cuttings" della British Library: nuove miniature di Simonzio Lupi da Bergamo, Giovanni Battista Castello il Genovese e Sante Avanzini', Il codice miniato in Europa. Libri per la chiesa, per la città, per la corte, Padua, 2014, pp. 673-695, esp. pp. 673-681.