1270
tempera
metal
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Joshua before the Lord is a 1270 tempera by French 13th Century, held at National Gallery of Art.
This page shows a small, colorful scene tucked into a big letter *P* at the start of a text. A man in a blue robe kneels, pointing upward at a glowing figure with a sword—likely an angel or God. The background is gold, and the edges of the letter curl like flames. Tiny red and blue letters fill the rest of the page, packed tightly. The kneeling man looks serious, almost scared, as he faces the bright figure above. The gold leaf shines behind them, making the scene feel holy and important. The artist used bright colors to stand out against the dark vellum. Next, look up tempera to see how this paint was made.
This artist worked in the last decades of the 13th century, painting scenes from the Bible on vellum with gold leaf and bright colors.
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