Portraits of Biblical Figures

Artisan: Ken Blythe
Date: Unknown
Dimensions: 24 x 17 x 4 mm. / 1 x ⅝ x ⅛ inches (height x width x depth)
Inventory number: 2022.191
Intended Room: Library
Category: Books

Provenance: Purchased from the artist’s daughter and son-in-law, who run The Little Book Company, via eBay, in June 2022.

Now here’s a curiosity. I don’t know the proper title of this book, let alone where the original might be found. It is clearly a replica of a sumptuous manuscript, showing full-page, richly-coloured portraits of Biblical figures (overwhelmingly women). I suspect the original was Flemish, but that’s only because the painting of the Madonna and Child with St John on the final page looks more Flemish than Italian to me; but it’s an inexact science. If anyone knows more than I do about manuscripts, please do point me towards the original text so that I can improve my cataloguing!