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Initial P: Saint Paul Giving a Letter to a Messenger

Unknownabout 1280–1290

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

Within this large initial P, Saint Paul, at left, passes a scroll representing his letter to the Ephesians to a messenger, at right. God looks on from above, indicating that he is the source of Paul's text. The initial is supported by a young man who bends under its weight. This image may allude to a phrase from Paul's letter found at the bottom of the page to the left: "Bear one another's burdens; and so you will fulfill the laws of Christ." A dragon and a bird threaten the man from both sides with their mouths open and their wings outstretched. The dragon was a common symbol of evil in the Middle Ages, and its presence here suggests that the man faces moral troubles.

Details

  • Title: Initial P: Saint Paul Giving a Letter to a Messenger
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: about 1280–1290
  • Location Created: Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 37.5 × 24.8 cm (14 3/4 × 9 3/4 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 83.MA.60.499
  • Culture: Italian
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig I 11, fol. 499
  • Creator Display Name: Unknown
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)

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