A fine example of the flowering of neo-gothic interest in illumination which was produced in France at around the same time that Viollet le Duc was restoring Notre-Dame.
The artist, or artists, here have been inspired by the large illuminated initials commonly found in medieval antiphonals and have filled their creations, for the most part, with an abundance of flowers and foliage and the addition of the occasional human head, bird or insect. There is a varied colour palette throughout with the frequently used detail of white tracery and much gold. Although study of original medieval illumination must have inspired the artist these are 'new' creations, produced with great care and attention to detail, rather than direct copies.
Provenance: one illustration contains a coat of arms which is possibly that of the noble de Rascas family of Languedoc and Provence (southern France): the shield shows a narrow azure field with a lone eight-pointed star above a broader yellow field holding a red cross pointed at the foot (d'or à la crois fleuronnée au pied fiché de gueules et au chef d'azur chargé d'une étoile à huit rais du champ).
For further reading on the revival of interest in medieval manuscripts and illumination in the 19th century, see:
ANL Munby, Connoisseurs and Medieval Miniatures 1750-1850 (1972).
S. Hindman & N. Rowe, Manuscript Illumination in the Modern Age: Recovery and Reconstruction (2001).
T. Coomans & J. De Maeyer, The Revival of Medieval Illumination (2007).
