Hymnal with Commentary

Description This manuscript, created in the twelfth century, contains eighty-one early Christian hymns, accompanied by a commentary supposedly written by St. Hilarius. The margins of the first folios of the manuscript are illuminated with five bishops, likely meant to represent five famous hymn-writers: Hilarius, Ambrose, Prudentius, Sedulius, and Gregory. Due to extreme flaking of the text and pigments, the manuscript could not be digitized at this time.

Exhibitions

• Spanish Medieval Art. The Cloisters, New York. 1954-1955.

Provenance Spain, ca. 1130-1150; Spain, nineteenth century (?) [stamp on verso of front flyleaf, partially effaced, but with crown visible and inscription "Enagenado por"; list of hymns with notes in Spanish on fols. 73r-76v]; Léon Gruel, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters