Italian and Byzantine Miniatures

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This publication is the first of a two-volume set examining a remarkable collection of leaves and miniatures from medieval manuscripts, featuring stunning illustrations that span from the late 9th to the late 15th centuries. It incorporates new discoveries in the expanding field of medieval scholarship. During the turbulent years when Napoleon's troops advanced across Europe, seeking to diminish ecclesiastical influence, ecclesiastical libraries faced disastrous consequences, with many being looted and their cultural treasures scattered globally to meet the demand for medieval art. This period (1796–99) coincided with a burgeoning interest in early Italian painting, as French and English connoisseurs collaborated with their Italian counterparts to study early Italian art, leading to significant scholarly contributions. The current volume focuses on single leaves and miniatures from medieval Italian manuscripts, enriched by a few Byzantine items discussed by Georgi Parpulov. The emphasis on late 13th- and early 14th-century illumination reflects McCarthy's passion for the medieval and early Gothic eras, which is also evident in his collections of French and German illumination, to be explored by Peter Kidd in the forthcoming second volume.