Annunciation in an Initial M
ca. 1310–15
Medium
Tempera and gold on parchment
Dimensions
5 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (13.6 x 13.4cm) Stave: 1 5/16 in. (3.4cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 1975.1.2478
Accession Number
1975.1.2478
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled within the grand letter "M" of this luminous initial, the *Annunciation in an Initial M* (ca. 1310–15) by Maestro Daddesco captures a pivotal biblical moment: the Archangel Gabriel announcing to Virgin Mary that she will the Christ child. Crafted as a cutting from a larger manuscript page, this tiny treasure—measuring just over 5 inches square—once adorned a choir book used during liturgical services in a Tuscan church or monastery. Maestro Daddesco, masterful Italian illuminator active in early 14th-century Tuscany, employed tempera paints mixed with egg yolk and shimmering gold leaf...