“Saul Victorious, A Proven Leader” recreates the manuscript illumination found on folio 23v from MS M.638, also known as “The Crusader Bible” in the Morgan Library Museum collection. Painted on calfskin vellum using white of egg tempera in combination with a 24k gold leaf background.
The painting presented many challenging details to replicate. But I am pleased with the outcome of this project. Especially the gradations in the blue fabrics, the chain-mail armors, and the brown earth floors. Despite the self-declared success of this project, I have to admit the lack of depth in skin tones and relative simplicity of the faces. Later projects this same year (like St. John and St. Luke) greatly improve on these areas.
About: The Crusader Bible
The Crusader Bible, also known as the Morgan Picture Bible, the Maciejowski Bible or the Shah ‘Abbas Bible, contains an impressive count of 86 full-page sized illuminations depicting everyday life, love, envy, hate, rape and murder. Created somewhere between 1244 – 1254 in Paris (France), its rich illuminations are in a typical Gothic style. Though originally created without text, later owners added inscriptions to the scenes in Latin, Persian and Judeo-Persian. It cJ.P. Morgan purchased the manuscript in 1916 and it now resides in the Morgan Library Museum. Its digitized version is available here.
Saul Victorious, A Proven Leader
This manuscript illumination depicts two scenes from the Old Testament, both of which originate from I Samuel 11. The first frame at the top depicts 1 Samuel 11:11 where Saul devastate the Ammonites who were besieging Jabesh Gilead and thus rescues the city.
11 “And it happened that, when the next day had arrived, Saul arranged the people into three parts. And he entered into the middle of the camp at the early morning watch, and he struck down the Ammonites until the day grew hot. Then the remainder were dispersed, so much so that not even two of them were left together.”
1 Samuel 11:11 – Bíblia Católica Online
After the defeat of the Ammonites, the people of Israel confirm Saul as their king. The prophet Samuel oversees Saul’s coronation, blesses him, and afterward offers sacrifices to the Lord upon the altar.
14 “Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and let us renew the kingdom there.”
15 “And all the people traveled to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king, in the sight of the Lord at Gilgal. And there they immolated victims of peace, before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly.”
1 Samuel, 14-15 – Bíblia Católica Online