MS. Gough Liturg. 2

Decoration

Prefatory miniatures illustrating the life of Christ on gold backgrounds, in rectangular frames with rubrics written in red ink in the upper margins. The miniature cycle is iconographically related to that of the Copenhagen Psalter (Copenhagen, Kongelige Bibliotek MS. Thott 143 2o), but is longer; the style is close to the Vita Christi, now Los Angeles, CA, J. Paul Getty Museum MS. 101.

• fol. 11r Annunciation: the Virgin Mary, holding a book, and Angel, holding a scroll, stand under architectural arches; buildings in the background.
• fol. 12r Visitation: the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth embrace, standing under an architectural arch; buildings in the background.
• fol. 13r Nativity: the Virgin Mary lying on a bed, Joseph seated next to the Child in a manger; ox and ass; star and arches with curtains in the background.
• fol. 14r Annunciation to the Shepherds: angel, holding a scroll, speaks to the three shepherds, standing next to their animals (dog, goats, sheep and pig).
• fol. 15r Adoration of the Magi: the Virgin Mary, seated under an architectural arch, and the Child, with cruciform halo, seated on her knee, blessing; three crowned Magi offer gifts, one kneeling; buildings in the background.
• fol. 16r Presentation in the Temple: the Virgin Mary hands the Child over to Simeon; Joseph stands behind, holding a basket with three doves; arches and buildings in the background.
• fol. 17r Flight into Egypt: the Virgin Mary, holding the Child, seated on a donkey; Joseph leads the way; a young man with an axe over his shoulder walks behind, and urges the donkey with a whip.
• fol. 18r Herod and the Magi: three crowned Magi speak to seated crowned Herod; arches and buildings in the background.
• fol. 19r The Massacre of the Innocents: Herod, seated, holding a sword, watches three soldiers killing the Innocents. One of the soldiers pierces with his sword a baby, held by a woman in the foreground. Arches and buildings in the background.
• fol. 20r Wedding Feast at Cana: Christ, with cruciform halo, blessing; the Virgin Mary, two men and a woman standing behind a table set up with food. In the foreground, jugs of wine and two servants, one carrying a jug, another pouring wine from a jug into a cup; arches and buildings in the background.
• fol. 21r Baptism of Christ: Christ, standing in water with fish and other swimming animals; John the Baptist, holding a vessel and touching Christ’s blessing hand, stands to the left; an angel, holding a white gown, stands to the right.
• fol. 22r The First Temptation: Christ, seated on top of a mountain, holding a book, speaks to the Devil, with horns and wings, holding stones (rubbed).
• fol. 23r The Second Temptation: Christ, seated on the pinnacle of the Temple, holding a book, speaks to the Devil with horns and long ears (badly rubbed).
• fol. 24r The Third Temptation: Christ, seated, holding a book, watches the Devil falling head first down the mountain (rubbed).
• fol. 25br The Last Supper: Christ and apostles seated at the table; Christ embraces St John and puts bread into the mouth of Judas.
• fol. 26r Betrayal: Judas hands Christ over to the soldiers; St Peter cuts off a soldier’s ear with a sword (rubbed).
• fol. 27r Flagellation: Christ, standing with hands bound to a pole; two servants beat him with a whip and a cane.
• fol. 28r Crucifixion: Christ on the Cross; the Virgin Mary and St John, holding books, stand on either side; the sun and the moon with faces are above the beams of the Cross.
• fol. 29r Marys at the Sepulchre: three Marys, holding vessels, speak to an angel, seated on an empty tomb; soldiers asleep in the foreground (badly rubbed).
• fol. 30r Ascension: apostles and the Virgin Mary look at the feet and robe of Christ, disappearing in the clouds above.
• fol. 31r Pentecost: Christ, seated, holding a book, surrounded by apostles; the Holy Spirit descending from the clouds as a nimbed white dove.
• fol. 32r King David (face rubbed off), seated on the throne, playing harp; on either side are smaller figures in rectangular frames, playing various musical instruments and juggling.

fol. 33v Psalm 1 (initial B(eatus)) An almost full-page initial, on gold and blue background, decorated with interlace, coiled stems, flowers and leaves; animal mask joins together the two loops of B. Rectangular frame with four medallions in the corners, with busts of two young and two bearded prophets, holding scrolls.

4- to 9-line historiated initials, gold or on gold backgrounds, in rectangular frames at the beginnings of the following psalms:

• fol. 50r Psalm 26 (initial D(ominus)) King David seated, holding a sceptre and a book.
• fol. 71v Psalm 51 (initial Q(vid)) Devil enticing Saul to suicide; profile faces of four men in the background; winged grotesque forming the tail of Q.
• fol. 72r Psalm 52 (initial D(ixit)) Armoured knight with a spear and a shield on horseback; half-figure of a man clutching a stem forms the outline of the initial.
• fol. 76v Psalm 59 (initial D(evs)) Seated bearded man pointing to the text.
• fol. 82r Psalm 68 (initial S(alvvm)) Boat with two sailors.
• fol. 87r Psalm 73 (initial U(t)) Winged grotesque.
• fol. 98r Psalm 85 (initial I(nclina)) Woman in a long dress, arranging her hair.
• fol. 120r Psalm 109 (initial D(ixit)) King David seated, holding a sword.

5- to 9-line initials on gold backgrounds, in rectangular frames, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage and flowers, at liturgical divisions at the beginning of psalms 20 (fol. 46r), 32 (fol. 54v), 38 (fol. 61v), 45 (fol. 67r), 80 (fol. 95r), 97 (fol. 107r), 101 (fol. 109r) and at the beginning of the first canticle (fol. 146r).

Borders: see above.

2- to 3-line initials, gold or on gold backgrounds, at the beginnings of psalms, canticles, litany and some prayers. The initials are in rectangular frames, decorated with coiled tendrils, foliage and flowers, birds, beasts, grotesques, heads, busts and figures of men. Many historiated initials are defaced.

2-line initials, most gold or on gold backgrounds, decorated with floral designs, and 2-line penwork initials at subdivisions within the psalms.

2-line red, green and blue initials, decorated with penwork, at the beginnings of prefatory prayers (fols. ‘1–10’v–32v), a prayer on fol. 108v and some of the collects following the litany.

1-line plain red, blue and green initials at the beginnings of verses and periods.

Rubrics in red ink.