Gradual 2 for San Michele a Murano (Folio 78)

According to Vasari, in the Camaldolese monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence there were twenty choir books written by a certain Don Jacopo and illustrated by Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci. He also points out that several other choir books by the same masters were in the library in the monastery of San Michele of the same order in Murano. Single illuminated pages representing a number of scenes from a large gradual by Don Silvestro have survived in various museums. Together with several other stylistically consistent historiated pages and with a considerable number of cut initials scattered in various museums, they formed the major portion of the illuminated decoration of two large graduals for San Michele a Murano. Fifty-one full pages and initials have been discovered so far that can now be firmly associated with the two San Michele a Murano graduals, Gradual 1 (The First Sunday of Advent to Passion Week) and Gradual 2 (Easter to the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost).

The initial C encloses the scene of the Last Supper. Animated twisting foliage, including precious golden tendrils with cornflowers and thistles,adorns the lateral and lower margin of the page. The initial opens into a space reminiscent of that of the Lorenzetti, especially Ambrogio, but here it is conceived merely as a backdrop. The apostles sit encircling a round table and react animatedly to Christ announcing that one of them will betray him. Judas, the subject of the general agitation is about to eat a piece of bread. His black halo containing scorpions and the flashing red money bag at his belt define him as Christ’s betrayer.

The initial C begins the introit to the Mass of Corpus Domini.