Artwork
Curtain of the Tabernacle, one of six illustrated leaves from the Postilla Litteralis (Literal Commentary) of Nicholas of Lyra
Curtain of the Tabernacle, one of six illustrated leaves from the Postilla Litteralis (Literal Commentary) of Nicholas of Lyra is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1360 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is an illuminated illustration from the Postilla Litteralis, a biblical commentary compiled by Nicholas of Lyra.
About this work
Technique & Style
The piece depicts a curtain and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work is classified as a painting created in 1360 by an anonymous artist. It is executed on a support measuring 41.9 cm in height and 24.8 cm in width. The piece depicts a curtain and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As one of six illustrated leaves from the Postilla Litteralis of Nicholas of Lyra, it represents a specific manuscript illumination tradition from the mid-fourteenth century.
History & Provenance
The artwork, identified as an anonymous painting titled Curtain of the Tabernacle, dates to 1360. It serves as one of six illustrated leaves originally part of the Postilla Litteralis (Literal Commentary) of Nicholas of Lyra. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the provided sources confirm the institution's ownership and the piece's creation around 1360, they do not list a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, no information regarding the exhibition history of this leaf is contained within the available records.
Overview
The work is an illuminated illustration from the Postilla Litteralis, a biblical commentary compiled by Nicholas of Lyra. It depicts a series of tall, richly colored draperies, reds, blues, yellows, and greens, suspended from a rod and held by gold rings. The decorative surface is overlaid with dense black Latin script arranged in orderly columns, integrating text and image in a single folio.
Subject & Meaning
The draperies represent the curtains of the Old Testament Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites. Their vivid hues and orderly presentation emphasize the sacred enclosure and its role as a visual barrier between the holy space and the surrounding world, reinforcing the theological focus of Lyra’s commentary.
Context
Nicholas of Lyra’s commentary was a central exegetical work in medieval Europe, widely consulted for its literal interpretation of Scripture. Illuminated copies such as this one were intended to aid readers by visually linking textual analysis with familiar biblical iconography, a practice common in scholastic manuscript production.
Artist & collection
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