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15th century

Artworks 11 to 20 of 39:

The Annunciation

by Master of Retascón, circa 1410–1452

Medium
Tempera paint on panel
Dimensions
Image: 41 x 24 in.; frame: 50 x 29.5 x 4 in.
Credits
Denver Art Museum: Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Location
Denver Art Museum

Saint John the Baptist and Saint Barbara

by Lluís Borrassà, circa 1411–1413

Medium
Tempera on panel
Dimensions
87.4 x 89.8 x 8.2 cm
Credits
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Alpheus Hyatt Purchasing Fund
Location
Harvard Art Museums

Saint Catherine of Siena before Pope Gregory XI

by Blasco de Grañén, 1422–1459

Medium
Tempera with gold leaf on panel
Dimensions
34 x 23 1/2 in. (86.4 x 59.7 cm)
Location
Barnes Foundation

Historiated Initial from a Gradual

by Master of the Cypresses, circa 1430–1440

Medium
Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink
Dimensions
Leaf: 36 × 31.5 cm (14 3/16 × 12 3/8 in)
Notes

At the core of this manuscript leaf is an ornate decorative initial, a lavish letter "K" that serves as a visual ode to the virtue of Caritas, or love. The illustration depicts Charity as a richly attired woman, symbolizing the divine nature of God's love. The initial is intricately adorned with elaborate patterns and flourishes, a hallmark of the style associated with the Master of the Cypresses (active in the 1430s), an artist renowned for ornate design.

Believed to be the work of Pedro de Toledo (active in 1434), who was documented as an artist at Seville Cathedral during the 1430s, de Toledo was bestowed the title of "Master" by art historian Diego Angulo Íñiguez (1901–1986) in 1428.

Set against a deep blue backdrop, the letter "K" gleams resplendently in gold, with its intricate curves and lines meticulously rendered. Within the letter, two figures locked in an intimate embrace symbolize profound love and unwavering devotion. Caritas, or Charity, holding a crucifix in her right hand, tenderly extends a singular gold coin to the beggar before her. The intersecting geometric lines elegantly connect three essential elements of the Trinity: Charity's heart, the beggar's staff, and Christ's wound, symbolizing divine salvation through God's boundless charity.

Location
J. Paul Getty Museum

Enthroned Virgin and Child with Personifications of the Virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, and Prudence

by Bernat Martorell, circa 1434–1437

Medium
Egg tempera and tooled gold on oak panel
Dimensions
60 3/4 × 42 1/4 in (154.3 × 107.3 cm)
Credits
John G. Johnson Collection, 1917
Location
Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Crucifixion

by Jaime Cirera, circa 1435

Medium
Oil paint and tempera paint on panel
Dimensions
Image: 34 x 30 in.; frame: 48.5 x 36.25 in
Credits
Denver Art Museum: Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Location
Denver Art Museum

The Crucifixion

by Blasco de Grañén, 1440–1445

Medium
Tempera on panel
Dimensions
Overall: 55 3/4 x 39 3/8 in (141.61 x 100.01 cm)
Credits
© Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Photo by Travis Fullerton
Location
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The Birth of the Virgin

by Jaume Mateu, circa 1450

Medium
Tempera and tooled gold on panel
Dimensions
31 × 22 3/4 in (78.7 × 57.8 cm)
Credits
John G. Johnson Collection, 1917
Location
Philadelphia Museum of Art

1/2 Real of King John II from Valencia

by Anonymous / Unknown, circa 1458–79

Medium
Silver
Dimensions
1.52 g, 11:00, 19 mm
Credits
Transfer from the Yale University Library, Numismatic Collection, 2001
Location
Yale University Art Gallery

The Crucifixion and Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels

by Juan Rexach, circa 1465–1470

Medium
Tempera and gold leaf on panel
Dimensions
68-1/2 x 38-1/2 in (174.0 x 97.8 cm)
Credits
The Norton Simon Foundation
Location
Norton Simon Museum