Pentimenti
Artists' Techniques
The artist made several small changes to his compositions, as shown by elements which were sketched but never painted.
Notable examples include the serpent’s wing on fol. 4r, a carpet in the lower left scene on fol. 5v and the angel appearing in Joseph’s dream on fol. 7v.
A more significant change, which probably involved the entire scene, was made to the image of God and Gabriel on fol. 7v. The infrared image clearly shows the presence of an architectural interior, with arches at the top and a column on the right. The lower portion of a figure’s crossed legs is also visible, as well as his feet.
Select the ‘infrared’ layer and explore the hotspots in the folios on the right to see the pentimenti.
Reconciliation in Parliament of Heaven; Gabriel sent to Earth; High Priest sending messenger
The Reconciliation scene, based on Arnoul Gréban’s Mystère de la Passion, a religious play performed in Paris in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, shows God with personifications of Mercy and Truth, who embrace, and Justice and Peace, who exchange a kiss.