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Initial E: Jonah Cast into the Sea

Unknownabout 1270

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

Beginning the section of the Bible concerned with the prophet Jonah, the initial E houses a depiction of the most memorable event of his story. Jonah disobeyed the Lord's command to go to Nineveh and instead boarded a boat, which was then caught in a ferocious storm. Drawing lots to divine the cause of the storm, the sailors determined that God's rage at Jonah's disobedience had brought it on.

In the Bible's letter E, two sailors throw the prophet overboard and into the mouth of an enormous fish. The artist was clearly interested in decorative pattern, but he or she was also concerned with naturalistic visual effects, such as the transparency of the water, through which the boat, the fish, and Jonah himself can be seen.

Details

  • Title: Initial E: Jonah Cast into the Sea
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: about 1270
  • Location Created: Lille (probably), France
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 47 × 32.2 cm (18 1/2 × 12 11/16 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera colors, black ink, and gold leaf on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 83.MA.57.2.181
  • Culture: Franco-Flemish
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig I 8, v2, fol. 181
  • Creator Display Name: Unknown
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)

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