Leaf with Initial from a Latin Bible: Initial M: St. Paul with a Sword and a Book
Medium
ink, tempera and burnished gold on vellum
Dimensions
21.9 × 14.3 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection
Accession Number
2011.51
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
Introducing Saint Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, the text reads: Multifariam et multis modis olim Deus loquens patribus in prophetis (In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets). The historiated initial M shows Saint Paul holding a sword, the instrument of his martyrdom, in his right hand. According to tradition, Paul was beheaded outside the gates of Rome. In his left hand he holds a book, indicating that he is the author of the Epistles of the New Testament. A Rom...
About the Artist
Vienna Moralized Bible Workshop (French)
Georges Hugnet (1906–1974) was a multifaceted French artist, poet, writer, and critic whose innovative collages and graphic works bridged Dada and Surrealism. Born in Paris on July 11, 1906, he spent much of his early childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, returning to France around 1913. His early life and artistic training remain sparsely documented, with no records of formal art school attendanc...