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Initial I: Scenes of the Creation of the World and the Life of Christ

Unknownabout 1250–1262

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

A soaring initialI opens the book of Genesis, announcing, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." These two pages serve as a dramatic beginning for the sacred scriptures. Roundels embedded within the vertical bar of the letter I at the center of the two pages detail the story of the Creation and intersect with scenes from the life of Christ spanning the bottom border. These close visual links between the Old and New Testaments emphasize Christ's role in redeeming Adam and Eve's original sin.

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  • Title: Initial I: Scenes of the Creation of the World and the Life of Christ
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: about 1250–1262
  • Location Created: Bologna, Italy
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 26.8 × 19.7 cm (10 9/16 × 7 3/4 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera and gold leaf on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 2011.23.4
  • Culture: Italian
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 107, fol. 4
  • Creator Display Name: Unknown
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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