Sonnets and Triumphs thumbnail 1
Sonnets and Triumphs thumbnail 2
+18
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the National Art Library

Sonnets and Triumphs

Manuscript
ca. 1463-1464 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Foliation: 188 (foliated X, 1-187) + i (16th -century parchment) ff.
Number of lines: 30 lines
Language: Italian
Script: Cursive humanistic script

Textual content:
ff. 1r-7r: List of first lines of verses for the Canzionere (Sonnets)
ff. 7v-9r: Blank; f. 7v ruled
ff. 9v-105v: First part of the “Canzoniere, Rime in vita”, headed on f. 9v in capitals written in gold as an inscription on a funerary monument FRANCISCI PE/TRARCAE FLO/ RENTINI POETAE/ EXCELLENTISS’/ RHYTMI INCI/PIUNT.
ff.106r-146v: Second part of the “Canzoniere, Rime in morte”.
ff. 147r-149r: Blank
ff. 149v-187r: The Trionfi of Petrarch
f. 187v: Ruled but blank

Decoration:
5 full-page miniatures: A classical funerary monument on parchment stained yellow (f. 9v), a classical architectural frame (f. 10r), a classical funerary monument, with a picture representing the death of Laura (f. 106r), the Triumph of Love on parchment stained purple (f. 149v.), a classical architectural frame on a shaded green ground (f. 150r).

8 historiated initials: faceted V with two rabbits in a landscape (f. 10r), decorated initial I with black scrolls (f. 106r), faceted N with a deer (f. 150r), historiated faceted initial Q with the Triumph of Chastity, a woman in classical dress shooting with bow and arrow at a fleeing Cupid (f. 162r),historiated faceted initial Q with the Triumph of Death : a woman in classical dress crawling on the ground besides two panning horses and a broken chariot (f. 166r), historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Fame, a woman in classical dress standing on a horse blowing a trumpet (f. 175r), a historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Time, a nude figure, winged, holding a staff in left hand and a winged serpent biting its tail in right hand (f.182r) , historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Divinity, the face of God the Father above the dove of the Holy Spirit and the heads of two angels (f. 184v).

4-line initial in burnished gold on blue at the beginning of each paragraph and each sonnet.
Coloured and gold capital letters for the first full page of the Rime, and of the Trionfi.

Binding:
1) 16th century, done in Rome, ca. 1515-1525: sewn on four cords, vellum pastedowns, calf over wooden boards, blind tooling, traces of gilt between the tool impressions; centrally impressions of plaquettes (on top cover, Septimius Severus, on lower cover, Diana with diadem). Roger Powell mentions vestiges of green silk under white laid-paper pastedowns which may have belonged to an original 15th-century binding or wrapping.
2) 19th century (?), repair: sewn on three recessed cords, spine re-backed in calf, with five false raised cords with blind tooling.
3) 1980, England, rebound by Roger Powell


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSonnets and Triumphs
Materials and techniques
Colour pigments, gold and ink on parchment. Binding : Calf leather over wooden boards
Brief description
Manuscript, Sonnets and Triumphs, by Petrarch, Italy, Padua, ca. 1463-1464.
Physical description
Foliation: 188 (foliated X, 1-187) + i (16th -century parchment) ff.
Number of lines: 30 lines
Language: Italian
Script: Cursive humanistic script

Textual content:
ff. 1r-7r: List of first lines of verses for the Canzionere (Sonnets)
ff. 7v-9r: Blank; f. 7v ruled
ff. 9v-105v: First part of the “Canzoniere, Rime in vita”, headed on f. 9v in capitals written in gold as an inscription on a funerary monument FRANCISCI PE/TRARCAE FLO/ RENTINI POETAE/ EXCELLENTISS’/ RHYTMI INCI/PIUNT.
ff.106r-146v: Second part of the “Canzoniere, Rime in morte”.
ff. 147r-149r: Blank
ff. 149v-187r: The Trionfi of Petrarch
f. 187v: Ruled but blank

Decoration:
5 full-page miniatures: A classical funerary monument on parchment stained yellow (f. 9v), a classical architectural frame (f. 10r), a classical funerary monument, with a picture representing the death of Laura (f. 106r), the Triumph of Love on parchment stained purple (f. 149v.), a classical architectural frame on a shaded green ground (f. 150r).

8 historiated initials: faceted V with two rabbits in a landscape (f. 10r), decorated initial I with black scrolls (f. 106r), faceted N with a deer (f. 150r), historiated faceted initial Q with the Triumph of Chastity, a woman in classical dress shooting with bow and arrow at a fleeing Cupid (f. 162r),historiated faceted initial Q with the Triumph of Death : a woman in classical dress crawling on the ground besides two panning horses and a broken chariot (f. 166r), historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Fame, a woman in classical dress standing on a horse blowing a trumpet (f. 175r), a historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Time, a nude figure, winged, holding a staff in left hand and a winged serpent biting its tail in right hand (f.182r) , historiated faceted initial D enclosing the Triumph of Divinity, the face of God the Father above the dove of the Holy Spirit and the heads of two angels (f. 184v).

4-line initial in burnished gold on blue at the beginning of each paragraph and each sonnet.
Coloured and gold capital letters for the first full page of the Rime, and of the Trionfi.

Binding:
1) 16th century, done in Rome, ca. 1515-1525: sewn on four cords, vellum pastedowns, calf over wooden boards, blind tooling, traces of gilt between the tool impressions; centrally impressions of plaquettes (on top cover, Septimius Severus, on lower cover, Diana with diadem). Roger Powell mentions vestiges of green silk under white laid-paper pastedowns which may have belonged to an original 15th-century binding or wrapping.
2) 19th century (?), repair: sewn on three recessed cords, spine re-backed in calf, with five false raised cords with blind tooling.
3) 1980, England, rebound by Roger Powell
Dimensions
  • Height: 230mm
  • Width: 140mm
  • Height: 165mm (Written area)
  • Weight: 85mm (written area)
Production typeUnique
Object history
1) Collection of Charles William Dyson Perrins (1867-1958), with his circular printed label inscribed “no. 135”, inside lower cover.
2) Bought by the National Art Library, at the instigation of James Wardrop (1905-1957) at the Dyson Perrins sale, Sotheby’s, London, 16 December 1946, lot 560.
Bibliographic references
  • Roman lettering. A book of alphabets and inscriptions, London, 1958, pl. 9.
  • Wardrop, J., The script of Humanism, Oxford, 1963, p. 51.
  • Fairbank, A., 'more of Sanvito', journal of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, 42, 1965.
  • Watson, R. Western Illuminated Manuscripts.Victoria and Albert Museum. A catalogue of works in the National Art Library from the eleventh to the early twentieth century, with a complete account of the George Reid Collection. London, 2011. Vol. II, no. 104.
Other numbers
  • KRP.C.78 - NAL Pressmark
  • 38041800149064 - NAL barcode
Collection
Library number
MSL/1947/101

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 16, 2018
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest