MEDIEVAL IMAGES OF SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX - MA308.jpg

Category Manuscript
Origin: artist/workshop North Netherlands
Date 15C/4
Reference No MS Mitchell 1/7a, f 9r (detail)
Size 10x9
Provenance Cistercian Abbey
Present Location Sydney, Australia, State Library of New South Wales
Bibliography Manion & Vines 1984, 139-40

Illustration From photo - Library
Other illustrations Manion & Vines 1984, ill 134

Country Netherlands
Description:
A nimbed Bernard in a white cowl, his hands folded in prayer and is crozier leaning on his left shoulder, kneels before the standing crowned Virgin and Child. The Virgin squeezes her breast with her right hand, and three droplets of milk are clearly visible. The initial B(onum inpretiabile est libertas) - 'Liberty is a priceless good' - introduces the text of the Privileges of the Cistercian Order in a composite manuscript from North Netherlands dated c 1480 which also contains the Carta Caritatis Posterior and the Antiquarum Diffinitionum and therefore must have come from a Cistercian house. Two inscribed banderoles read 'Ave regina celorum ave mater dei' (behind the Virgin) and 'Monstra te esse matrem Bernardus' emanating from Bernard. The colours are brownish-pink, green, red, white, and blue, and the initial gold. The vertical column of text on the right alternates in blue and red. The smaller vertical label 'Bernardus' beside the initial is in blue. The text is introduced in red as: 'Incipiunt privilegia libertates immunitates et indulgentia nobis a sede apostolica cocesse que sunt sub compendio in decem capitulis comprehense quorum primum est de privilegiis generaliter ordini concessis'.