An excellent miniature depicting St Lawrence holding the gridiron upon which he was roasted by order of the prefect of Rome, in the third century; the illustration in the lower corner, complete with a figure operating bellows to stoke the fire, presages the saint’s fate.
The Book of Hours in which this miniature appeared constituted an important stage in the development of book production in Amiens, and is related stylistically to the most important artist in Amiens at this time, the Master of Raoul d’Ailly. The Hours of Raoul d’Ailly also has marginal vignettes, similar to the one found here which is related to an Amiens Hours of c. 1410 (see: Rouen, Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. p. 12).
Some wear to the miniature at lower outer corner, and border.
1. From a Book of Hours for the use of Rome, sold Sotheby’s, London, 14 July 1981, lot 118. 2. Christies, 2002; Lot 10, Valuable Illuminated Manuscripts, Printed Books Sale; along with two other miniatures of St John the Evangelist and St Quentin..
