Miniature of Fernando II in tomb A

Image corresponding to a miniature from Tomb A of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in which King Fernando II of Galicia and León is depicted and which is currently conserved in the Archive of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

In this particular representation, the effigy of Fernando II inaugurates a new iconographic type. The lion stands out in the lower part, an animal that belongs to the most generic symbolic repertoire of royalty. Its reiteration in the series of León monarchs undoubtedly contains a specific heraldic intention. In this case, it could be based on the representation of a bestiary.
On the other hand, in this type of miniature, the scarce individualisation of the faces is compensated by a great variety of motifs, such as crowns, chromatic tones, symbols or clothing, which contribute to correctly identify the character, represented in this case in an equestrian attitude, highlighting his courage in combat.

The horse is painted in blue, the tones and distribution of which are intended to give it volume, an intention that is reiterated by the calligraphic folds of the monarch's clothes, which stylise his figure.