Prefatory cycle of full-page miniatures

Texts and Images

Presented as pairs on double openings, the six miniatures are painted on one side of the leaves, leaving the other side of the costly parchment blank. This is one of the numerous indications that no expense was spared in the production of this manuscript. Painted by a single artist (Hand A), the miniatures illustrate the end of David’s reign and the beginning of Solomon’s. Originally, there would have been more images, since the inventory of Charles V’s collection describes the manuscript as starting with numerous images (‘pluseurs histories au commencement’).