Nerio (active c. 1300–1330)
The Martyrdom of the Faithful
Written in Latin, an illuminated page from an Antiphonal, for Matins, the first Responsory for the Feast of the Common Many Martyrs, Absterget deus omnem lacrimam…
Italy, likely Bologna, c. 1310–1330
Overall Dimension, 548 x 371 mm.
Historiated initial “A”, 131 x 125 mm.
Tempera, ink and gold on parchment
$25,000
This illuminated leaf once part of a grand antiphonal exemplifies the expressive narrative and dynamic painting of Nerio, one of the most significant illuminators working in Bologna at the turn of the 14th century. The historiated initial ‘A’ introduces the antiphon Absterget Deus omnem lacrimam ab oculis eorum…, a text from Revelation 21:4, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes…, sung during the Feast of the Common of Many Martyrs. The theme of divine consolation and redemption is vividly realized in this martyrdom scene, where two haloed martyrs kneel in prayer as a soldier, clad in a blue tunic and red mantle, raises his sword to strike. Another figure, gripping a sword, stands poised behind them, intensifying the dramatic tension. The painting bears all the hallmarks of Nerio’s distinctive blend of Byzantine intensity and emerging Giottesque realism, balancing monumentality with emotive human expression.
This leaf shares strong stylistic and compositional affinities with other works from a larger group attributed to Nerio, particularly in the depiction of soldiers. The armored executioners closely resemble those in the British Library, Additional MS 32058, f. 2(a), where a soldier in a blue tunic and chainmail coif holds his weapon in a similarly poised stance and likewise in the Martyrdom of St. Lucy (Marlay Cutting It. 80b, Fitzwilliam Museum, Ref. 181232). The second executioner is almost identical to the civic figure in the Martyrdom of St. Stephen (Marlay Cutting It. 80c, Fitzwilliam Museum, Ref. 181234) with angular facial features and beard with dynamic gesturing which is poised to strike downward toward the martyr in each. Both reinforce the attribution to Nerio’s hand.
Nerio’s dynamic engagement with Giottesque innovations is especially evident in the forward-facing figures that break from traditional medieval conventions. The second kneeling martyr, positioned to the right in direct confrontation with the armored executioner, closely parallels figures in both the ex-Zeileis Collection leaf, the Calling of Andrew and Peter (sold at Koller, 2015) and the British Library miniature, Additional MS 32058, f. 2(a). In each of these works, Nerio employs a bold frontal gaze, sculptural modeling of faces, and deeply expressive characterization to heighten the immediacy and emotional intensity of the scene. This innovative approach, rooted in Giotto’s naturalism, underscores Nerio’s significance as one of Bologna’s most forward-thinking manuscript painters of the early 14th century.
RELATED LEAVES
Nerio, Scenes from the Life of Christ, Additional 32058, f. 2 (a) & (b), British Library, London UK
Nerio, Martyrdom of St. Lucy, Marlay cutting It. 80b, Ref. 181232, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK
Nerio, Martyrdom of St. Stephen Marlay cutting It. 80c, Ref. 181234, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK
Nerio, Issac sending Esau, Victoria and Albert Musuem, 9024D
Nerio, Abraham in prayer, Victoria and Albert Musuem, 9024E
Nerio, Calling of Andrew and Peter, ex-Zeileis Collection, sold at Koller, Zurich, lot 141, Sept. 18 2015
PROVENANCE:
France(?), inscription in French on the recto “XIV siècle. Italie” and number 26 in the right corner. The handwriting appears to be a late 19th/early 20th century book hand script
United Kingdom, Sussex, private collection formed in the mid-20th century, passed on to their descendants
LITERATURE
Dizionario Biografico die miniatori Italiani.Secoli IX-XVI, Mailand 2004, S. 820-821.
Nigel Morgan, Stella Panayotova, Suzanne Reynolds (hrsg.), A Catalogue of Western Book Illumination in the Fitzwilliam and the Cambridge Colleges, London 2011, S. 289-290.
M. Medica & F. Toniolo, Le miniature della Fondazione Giorgio Cini: pagine, ritagli, manoscritti, Cinisello Balsamo, 2016, p. 272-273, 90, (entry by Massimo Medica).
G. Freuler, The McCarthy Collection Vol. 1, Italian and Byzantine Miniatures (2019), no 31, p. 96-99, London 2018
G. Freuler, a Private Collection of Italian Manuscript Illuminations, Koller Zurich A174, September 2018 2015, lot 141 (Collection of Dr. Fritz Zeileis)
