This small yet very powerful miniature depicts an elegant Figure of a Prophet. He is depicted in a three-quarter view, with his head tilted downwards and his hands holding a phylactery. This miniature is extracted from an unidentified illuminated manuscript (a liturgical book), most certainly from a richly illuminated border of a large page, as indicated by the green outline and the presence of a small remnant of pink, which must have been part of the floral decorations in which the prophet was depicted. The manuscript from which the present miniature is extracted is yet to be identified. However, two other Figures of Prophet from the same liturgical book are known, one of which is currently privately kept in a very important Italian collection that was published by prof. Gaudenz Freuler in 2013.

The meticulous brushstroke and the ability of the artist to paint with such details on an extremely small surface are remarkable. From a stylistic point of view, this miniature is reminiscent of Veronese illumination from the late 15th century and is similar to the works painted on parchment by artist Liberale da Verona (active in Verona, late 15th century), whom the anonymous illuminator of the present Figure of a Prophet certainly knew. Liberale da Verona is an important artist active in Verona during the second half of the 15th century: he is cited in Giorgio Vasari’s Vite as one of the most important painters of the city. Liberale da Verona is the son of Jacopo, a baker originally from Monza, and Jacoba, daughter of the Veronese painter Zeno Solimani and sister of the painter Nicolò Solimani. It is unknown whether it was Nicolò Solimani or Vincenzo di Stefano, a painter from Verona, who trained Liberale da Verona: Giorgio Vasari confuses Liberale da Verona’s uncle with Vincenzo di Stefano. Liberale da Verona was strongly influenced by two of the most important artists of his time, Andrea Mantegna and Jacopo Bellini, and quickly succeeded in becoming a leading artist, and established his own workshop in Verona.

Versatile, Liberale da Verona is known to have executed paintings as well as illuminated manuscripts. His influence can be seen in the present miniature, which was undoubtedly painted by an artist active during the late 15th century in Verona, where he must have met Liberale da Verona. Moreover, the present Figure of a Prophet can be compared to the Communion of the Apostles now at the Jan Krugier Foundation in Lausanne (attributed to Liberale da Verona), which shows the same characteristics of late 15th-century Veronese illumination art. Our Figure of a Prophet is painted with a fine and refined brushstroke, vivid and saturated colors, and great attention to detail, particularly in the treatment of the prophet’s beard and his gaze, which despite its tiny size is deep and full of expression.

We thank prof. Gaudenz Freuler for his expertise.

Sister cuttings
Figure of a Prophet (Maggs Bros, 1995)
Figure of a Prophet (important private collection of Italian miniatures, mostly established in the 1920s-1940s).