Preface

During a visit which I made to the Library of Congress in the spring of 1938, Miss Alice H. Lerch, of the Rare Books Division, very kindly showed me what she considered their finest illuminated manuscript, a Bible in two large volumes (MS. Pre-Accession No. 1).

The first glance satisfied me that here was the long-sought evidence needed to solve one of the most interesting problems of manuscript research in my experience. The numerous historiated initials of the Bible obviously were related closely to MS. 360 in The Pierpont Morgan Library, which consists of a series of eighty-five detached miniatures depicting scenes from the Life of Christ and the Saints.

While the beauty and distinction of the Morgan manuscript had frequently aroused the interest of connoisseurs, it had heretofore resisted all efforts at definite localization, because no forerunners or companion pieces had come to light. Nevertheless, it was clear that such a masterly achievement could not have resulted without them.

Dr. Herbert Putnam, at that time Librarian of Congress, with characteristic courtesy directed that the Bible be sent to the Morgan Library for study and comparison with Morgan MS. 360, thereby enabling me to confirm my first impression that the same artists had worked on both manuscripts, but that the Library of Congress Bible was the earlier product.

No attempt was made at that time to study the text of the Bible, which contained other features that were to play equally important parts in its localization. Two of these were particularly helpful: First, the shields decorating the Genesis page, bearing the arms of the original owner; and secondly, an imperfectly preserved sixteenth-century document in Latin, that is found on a preliminary leaf in the first volume. The contents of this document have been translated by Dr. Theodore C. Petersen, C.S.P., of the Catholic University of America, and will be found in the Appendix.

Not long after this auspicious beginning, when another Morgan manuscript was being recatalogued, a fortunate circumstance caused Prof. Bernard M. Peebles, of Fordham University, to send to the Morgan Library for textual comparison, a photograph of an illuminated leaf from Vatican Latin MS. 8541.

It was recognized at once that its style of illumination and format were the same as Morgan MS. 360. A description of the Vatican manuscript in an article by the Rev. Michael Huber¹ of the Benedictine monastery of Metten, reached me shortly thereafter, revealing that the Vatican manuscript was an extensively illustrated Passional or Legenda Aurea. In his publication, Dr. Huber called attention to the numerous Hungarian saints whose sufferings were depicted, and also deplored the fact that the manuscript had thus far received no scholarly consideration. As a matter of fact, art historians² of both nationalities have classified it as "Italo-Hungarian," although none has attempted the long, comprehensive analysis which would be required in order to substantiate this localization. For the purpose of studying it at first hand, and chiefly to determine the connection between Morgan MS. 360 and Vatican Lat. 8541 I went to Rome in July 1939, where in the Vatican Library, through the courtesy of the Prefect, Dom Anselmo Albareda, I was given every opportunity to work with the original manuscript. This confirmed my belief that the Morgan and Vatican manuscripts, and a third fragment that is in a private collection in Paris, had all originally been parts of one book, that, before it was mutilated and its contents dispersed, must have been one of the most sumptuous, truly regal volumes in existence.

Now, after centuries of separation, these manuscripts may at last be studied in relation to each other and to the cosmopolitan atelier where they were produced.

My warm thanks are due Miss Alice H. Lerch of the Rare Books Division of the Library of Congress, for first bringing this splendid Bible manuscript to my attention and for many kindnesses since then. Dr. Dezső Dercsényi of Budapest supplied the evidence which identified the owner of the coat of arms in the Bible, as well as much other helpful information. My friend, Dr. T.C. Petersen, C.S.P., not only aided in the localization of the Bible by his painstaking work on the Zuleman document which it preserves, but answered many calls on his time in checking references. It gives me further pleasure to record the helpful cooperation of the Royal Hungarian Consulate of New York City in obtaining various kinds of information for me from Budapest. Miss Belle da Costa Greene, in her dual capacity as Director of the Morgan Library and Advisor to the Library of Congress, from first to last gave the publication her wholehearted support.

In its final stages, the material in this book had the benefit of careful revision by Miss Dorothy Miner, Librarian of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, to whom I am particularly indebted for the thoroughness with which she performed so arduous a task.

Since the foregoing was written, the ending of the war has made it possible to resume publication and to include additional facts on the history of the Vatican manuscript, received through the good offices of His Eminence Eugène, Cardinal Tisserant.

Dr. Lawrence C. Wroth, Director of the John Carter Brown Library and Prof. Millard Meiss of Columbia University obliged me greatly by giving the text in its final form the benefit of their critical reading with many constructive suggestions. The photography of the comparative illustrations is the work of Mark D. Brewer, U.S.N.R., Superintendent of Buildings, the Morgan Library.

If this book carried a dedication, it would be dedicated to the memory of my father.

Meta Harrsen
The Pierpont Morgan Library
_______

¹ M. Huber, O.S.B.: Die "Vita Illustrata Sancti Benedicti" in "Handschriften und Kupferstichen." In Studien und Mittheilungen des Benediktiner Ordens, N. F. 17, 48, Brünn, etc, 1930, p. 47-82.

² C. Budinis: L'opera del genio italiano all'estero-gli artisti italiani in Ungheria, Rome, 1936, p. 27-28, pl. XIX; T. Gerevich: L'arte antica ungherese, Rome, n.d., p. 10, pl. XII; E. Hoffmann: Régi Magyar Bibliofilek, Budapest, 1929, p. 20.

Table of Contents

THE BOLOGNESE SCHOOL OF MINIATURE PAINTING IN HUNGARY IN THE XIVth CENTURY:

1. King Charles Robert and the Stimulation of Culture During His Reign
2. Native Scriptoria and Some of Their Products, in Particular the Bible now in the Library of Congress and the Passional in the Vatican and Morgan Libraries
3. The Palaeography, Iconography, Heraldry, Style, Colors and Border Ornament of these Several Manuscripts
4. The Locale of the Atelier in which the Manuscripts Were Produced
5. Evidence for Dating
6. Destined Recipient of the Passional

THE MANUSCRIPTS:

1. The Library of Congress Latin Bible Ms. Pre-Accession I
2. The Pierpont Morgan Library MS. 360
3. The Vatican Library MS. Latin 8541
4. The Léonce Rosenberg Leaves

APPENDIX:

• The Zuleman Document
• References in the Text to the Illustrations
• Plates I-XX.

INDEX