3-039-729 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Initial B: Four Saints, about 1450. Cutting from a choir book. Additional Info:An air of pious reflection permeates the four saints in this initial. The Olivetan Master treats these four figures both as a tightly knit group and as individuals. They are tied together through formal rhythms and echoes. For example, the two figures on the end have their arms crossed and display voluminous sleeves, while the two interior figures have their hands in gestures of prayer and also have almost identical contours along the right shoulder. Although the drapery in a certain sense might be read as one continuous mass of billowing cloth, the individuality of each figure is brought out through color, facial type, and subtle distinctions in gesture and expression. Particularly moving is the figure second from the left who has just turned toward his companion.