Initial Q with a Procession of Children
c. 1430s
Medium
tempera and gold leaf on parchment
Dimensions
overall: 22.4 x 21.8 cm (8 13/16 x 8 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Woodner Collection, Gift of Dian Woodner
Accession Number
2013.130.1
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate beauty of *Initial Q with a Process of Children*, a gem from the workshop of Zanobi Stroz, a masterful Florentine illuminator active the 1430s. Crafted around this time, this cutting from a larger manuscript page captures a lively procession of children within the grand, swirling form of the letter "Q Likely designed for a choirbook or liturgical volume, it reflects the Renaissance-era fascination with harmonious figures and narrative vignettes in sacred texts. Executed in tempera and gold leaf on parchment—a luxurious medium that lent manuscripts a radiant, jewel-like qua...