Getty Museum
Initial H: Saint Stephen
Creator
Master of the Golden BullIlluminator · 1400–1405
All works by this person →The Master of the Golden Bull is the name given to the illuminator who decorated a luxurious copy of a papal bull granting King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia the title of King of Rome in 1400. While his identity is unknown, the Master of the Golden Bull was probably active in the early fifteenth century at the Prague court, ruling seat of the Kingdom of Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic). The artist's
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1405
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold leaf, and gold paint
- Culture
- Bohemian
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
- Object ID
- 30834e45-aa38-44cd-9fbe-b916e9780cdf
From the Getty Museum record
This initial H features Saint Stephen, dressed as a church deacon, holding and contemplating the stones with which he was martyred. Golden birds writhe in the background behind Stephen, echoing the saint's gently swaying posture, as well as the leafy foliage sprouting from the corners of the initial. The text that the letter introduces, *Hesterna die dominus natus* (Yesterday the Lord was born) is the chant sung on the feast day of Saint Stephen on December 26, the day after Christmas.
The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Getty Museum and other institutions.