Leaf Excised from a Psalter: The Annunciation
Unknown Artist
c. 1325–50
Medium
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum
Dimensions
15.8 × 11.2 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1952.230
About this artwork
This miniature of the Annunciation to Mary was taken from a psalter containing the 150 sacred songs or hymns from the Book of Psalms found in the Bible. Psalters were among the most popular books of the Middle Ages, used for daily church services in monasteries and for private devotion. The leaf from this liturgical manuscript probably came from England and was made around the time of the Black Death. In the past, manuscripts were often disassembled by owners and dealers to sell the single minia...