These pages were done primarily with ink, watercolor and goldleaf on vellum; the page size is about 6¾" by 9½". Goldleaf looks really terrible when scanned; to see what the pages look like in natural light, see this image taken with a digital videocamera (unfortunately quite grainy, but the effect of the gold is much more apparent).
I hesitated about putting the 300dpi scans up; at that size, small flaws become hugely apparent, and tiny details which look finely drawn at actual size look chunky and clumsy when magnified. On the other hand, I enjoy seeing magnifications of other artists' work, so that I can see their methods; it's only fair that I reciprocate. The high-resolution images were also personally helpful to me, as they helped me spot areas where I'd forgotten to outline the goldleaf with black paint, which I then went back and fixed on the originals.
Page One [75dpi][150dpi][300dpi]
The historiated capital shows the King and Queen of Trimaris placing a golden laurel wreath upon Ginevra's head. The dark red inside the "Y" is a glaze painted over goldleaf; light reflecting through the glaze makes it look like a jewel. The four diamonds near the corners, and the red and blue bars separating the words "[Y]oan ed Eó[rann]" running down the right of the capital letter, were treated similarly.
The six sunbursts were an experiment at building up a three-dimensional base with gesso, over which goldleaf was to be laid. Unfortunately, I mixed the gesso a little too watery, so it shrank unevenly when it dried. Live and learn. On Ginevra's dress are tiny bees, reflecting the motif in her arms (center top and bottom in the border).
Page Two [75dpi][150dpi][300dpi]
I'd never tried this sort of "landscape" border before; I was interested in the way the grass and (especially) the rocks looked more like modern watercolor paintings than the typical Renaissance illumination style. Most of the elements are taken from various pages of the Visconti Hours, and blended together here. Clockwise from upper left: a beehive, continuing the "bee" theme from the first page; a Visconti serpent, indulging in its fondness for children/cherubs/infidels; a peacock; greyhounds; a juniper bush; a leopard; and another peacock.
All of the elements have personal significance to Ginevra (including the grapes, which in this charming world appear to grow on trees, rather than on vines).
Page Three [75dpi][150dpi][300dpi]
This one's my favorite, although it took the longest to do. As always, the goldleaf looks much better in real life. The scenes inside the architectural capital E are based on paintings from Gaston Phœbus' Book of the Hunt. The "sculpture" in the right-hand side of the capital is a portrait of the artist.
Page Four [75dpi][150dpi][300dpi]
This page is mostly gold (and silver) leaf. It looks nice when the light is glinting off of all the metal, but I have to admit it looks pretty plain here. And, yes, the top border is kind of crooked. Arrrgh. And it looks even more crooked than it actually is, since I didn't have the page perfectly straight on the scanner. Double arrrgh.
The scrolls down the side borders read Suavitas mellis et aculeus apium ("The sweetness of honey and the sting of a bee"). Bees are also present in Ginevra's arms, at the bottom of the page.
The most notable thing on this page is the portrait of Ginevra. Click on the image at the right for a 600dpi magnification (the goldleaf has been color-corrected to make it look a bit better, but the rest of the image is unretouched). The whole portrait, including the gold border, is only an inch and a half wide, so I'm pretty happy with the amount of detail I was able to put into it.
The text is based upon a sixteenth-century English patent of arms. I am indebted to Roger Siggs for translating it into 15th-century Milanese Italian, and to Eva Mehlhose for putting me in touch with him.
Yoan and Eórann, by the Grace of God and right of arms King and Queen of Trimaris, To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.
Whereas anciently from the beginning the valiant and virtuous acts of worthy persons have been commended to the world with sundry monuments and remembrances of their good deserts, Amongst the which the chiefest hath been the recognition of such great skill and nobility that those displaying them cannot but be held as examples to all who behold them, raising them to those Orders as were most prudently devised to show and find in the hearts of men to the imitation of virtue and nobleness. Even so hath the same been and yet is continually observed to the end that such as have done commendable service to their Crown and Kingdom either in war or peace may receive due honor in their lives and derive the same successively unto their posterity forever.
And being apprised of the achievements of our subject Ginevra Visconti resident in our barony Wyvernwoode in divers fields of art and study we are moved to create her a Companion of the Order of the Laurel and name her a Peer of our realm, said title to have and enjoy forever without impediment, let or interruption of any person or persons.
In witness whereof, we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents and have set hereunto our hand. Witness ourselves at Vaca del Mar, the 24th Day of May, in the First Year of our Reign, anno societatis xxxviij.
