The article deals with the decoration of the Inferno and Purgatorio Riccardiano 1005 (Firenze, Biblioteca Riccardiana, MS 1005), attributed to the Illustratore by d’Arcais (1978). The Braidense in Milan holds the Paradiso (Milano, Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, MS AG XII 2), whose decoration d’Arcais (1978) gave to the B18 Master. It is one of the most ancient illustrated manuscripts of the Commedia and embodies the oldest surviving version of the commentary by Iacomo della Lana. Philological and paleographic studies on the Riccardiano-Braidense text version of Dante’s poem have established that it was probably produced in the 1330s. The miniatures of the Florence volume seem to confirm this chronology. As d’Arcais has already proposed, they look to be among the earliest works by the Illustratore. The decoration of the Riccardiano-Braidense is unique, as far as structure and choice of subject matter are concerned. 200 ‘historiated’ initials adorned each canto and its commentary, illustrating the subject matter of the canto. Comparisons are drawn to the possible sources of this unusual structure. What is even more singular in the decoration of the Riccardiano-Braidense is the presence of iconographies relating to single passages picked up from the poem and not to the narrative as a whole. This way of illustrating the poem reflects the interpretation of the Commedia as a treatise addressed to university students given by the commentary. The miniatures of the Riccardiano 1005 seem to form a sort of visual treatise ‘de vitiis et poenis’. It is pointed out how the Illustratore does not depict a series of allegories or abstract personifications, but lively and dramatic scenes. That could be put into connection with the peculiar teaching function of these miniatures, as in law books. Nothing is known about the identity of the patron of the Riccardiano-Braidense. The point is discussed with reference to the ‘historiated’ initial of Purg. XXXIII (c. 185r). The author wonders whether anyone may have ever wanted such an image to be painted in Bologna during the government of the papal legate Bertrand du Pouget, if the volume should be dated before 1334.
"Pasture da pigliare occhi per aver la mente" . L'Illustratore nella Commedia Riccardiano 1005
DEL MONACO, GIANLUCA
2011
Abstract
The article deals with the decoration of the Inferno and Purgatorio Riccardiano 1005 (Firenze, Biblioteca Riccardiana, MS 1005), attributed to the Illustratore by d’Arcais (1978). The Braidense in Milan holds the Paradiso (Milano, Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, MS AG XII 2), whose decoration d’Arcais (1978) gave to the B18 Master. It is one of the most ancient illustrated manuscripts of the Commedia and embodies the oldest surviving version of the commentary by Iacomo della Lana. Philological and paleographic studies on the Riccardiano-Braidense text version of Dante’s poem have established that it was probably produced in the 1330s. The miniatures of the Florence volume seem to confirm this chronology. As d’Arcais has already proposed, they look to be among the earliest works by the Illustratore. The decoration of the Riccardiano-Braidense is unique, as far as structure and choice of subject matter are concerned. 200 ‘historiated’ initials adorned each canto and its commentary, illustrating the subject matter of the canto. Comparisons are drawn to the possible sources of this unusual structure. What is even more singular in the decoration of the Riccardiano-Braidense is the presence of iconographies relating to single passages picked up from the poem and not to the narrative as a whole. This way of illustrating the poem reflects the interpretation of the Commedia as a treatise addressed to university students given by the commentary. The miniatures of the Riccardiano 1005 seem to form a sort of visual treatise ‘de vitiis et poenis’. It is pointed out how the Illustratore does not depict a series of allegories or abstract personifications, but lively and dramatic scenes. That could be put into connection with the peculiar teaching function of these miniatures, as in law books. Nothing is known about the identity of the patron of the Riccardiano-Braidense. The point is discussed with reference to the ‘historiated’ initial of Purg. XXXIII (c. 185r). The author wonders whether anyone may have ever wanted such an image to be painted in Bologna during the government of the papal legate Bertrand du Pouget, if the volume should be dated before 1334.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
