Introduction

The Fisher Antiphonarium and Breviarium is a 15th-century Italian manuscript of liturgical music. Notably, a later hand copied several illuminations onto the pages, obscuring some of the music and text. Tying together art, song, and a little bit of science, this exhibit examines three of these illuminations: two based on the works of 15th-century Italian painters Gentile da Fabriano and Fra Filippo Lippi, and one copied from a contemporary manuscript, the Squarcialupi Codex, a collection of 14th century Italian secular music.¹

I’ve long been fascinated by this book since seeing it in person at the Fisher Library as part of an undergraduate medieval studies workshop, and the chance to examine it in detail has revealed many fascinating connections to other books, songs, and works of art.

Risa de Rege, 2022