Initial T from a Choral Book with Isaac and Esau (c. 1460–70): Art, History and Details

Initial T from a Choral Book with Isaac and Esau (c. 1460–70) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Bartolomeo da Gallarate (Italian).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The subject of this initial recounts the biblical story of the "stolen" blessing of Esau. The dying Isaac, old and blind, is approached by his son Esau, who seeks his blessing. Esau discovers that his twin brother, Jacob, had already obtained the irrevocable blessing through deception.

Object facts

• Title: Initial T from a Choral Book with Isaac and Esau
• Date: c. 1460–70
• Creator attribution: Bartolomeo da Gallarate (Italian)
• Culture: Italy, Lombardy, 15th century
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: ink, tempera, and gold on parchment
• Dimensions: Sheet: 18 x 16 cm (7 1/16 x 6 5/16 in.)
• Collection: MED - Manuscript Illuminations
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1949.535

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Gertsman, Elina and Barbara H. Rosenwein. The Middle Ages in 50 Objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.