Getty Museum

Cutting from a Gradual

Date

about 1440

Medium

Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink

Culture

Italian

Department

Manuscripts

Institution

Getty Museum

This is a cutting from a Gradual, a type of liturgical book used in medieval Christian worship services. Graduals were typically sizable volumes containing musical chants and readings for the Mass and other church services. This cutting is a splendid example of medieval manuscript art, highlighting a meticulously painted initial adorned with gold leaf accents. This initial is from a choir book and depicts King David kneeling in prayer as the Lord raises His hands in blessing, conveying a profound sense of adversity and a plea for deliverance. The inspiration for this illustration comes from Psalm 24, a significant passage in the Book of Psalms in the Bible. This passage emphasizes the idea that the Earth and all that resides upon it belong to the Lord, underscoring a theme of worthiness and the pursuit of God's grace, which deeply influenced the visual representation in the cutting. A Gradual contains the musically intricate segments of the Mass, a Christian ritual in which bread and wine are consecrated and shared. The term "Gradual" originates from a chant sung on the steps leading to the altar following the first reading during Mass. These chants are organized in alignment with the church year, often commencing with the first Sunday in Advent. In contrast, a manuscript cutting is a fragment of a larger manuscript extracted from its original context. These cuttings were frequently repurposed as decorative illustrations for other books or objects when removed from damaged or incomplete manuscripts.

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