{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O49827"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O49827/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC4594/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC4594/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BC4594","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O49827/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O49827","accessionNumber":"E.1275-1991","objectType":"Manuscript","titles":[{"title":"The Virgin and Child","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Historiated initial B (red and green foliate letter-shape, Virgin and Child seated in a landscape, with a distant town, burnished gold ground); above the letter-shape a putto holding a red shield lettered \"M FRANCHO\", ie Franco dei Russi.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Franco di Giovanni de' Russi","id":"A4833"},"association":{"text":"illuminator","id":"AAT25122"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"vellum","id":"AAT11852"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"illumination","id":"AAT220539"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on vellum","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BC4594"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"I","shelf":"81","box":"N"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"manuscript cutting","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ferrara","id":"x32049"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"or"},{"place":{"text":"Urbino","id":"x33375"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1460-1480","earliest":"1460-01-01","latest":"1480-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"irregular","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"The top left portion containing the putto and shield forms a small extension to the top edge","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"M. Francho","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"gilt","method":"","position":"top left","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"1) Signature","note":"1) Signature; top left; gilt"}],"objectHistory":"Bought at Sotheby's London, 29 November 1990, lot 22.","historicalContext":"This is one of only two signed works by this artist; the other is in a manuscript in the British Library. Franco de' Russi studied at Ferrara under Gugliemo Giraldi and was a follower of Mantegna. With Taddeo Crivelli he was one of the two principal artists commissioned to illuminate the great Bible of Borso d'Este in Ferrara, 1455-1461, but had apparently left Ferrara by 1458 where he is documented as working in Urbino for Federico da Montefeltro, described as `maestro Franco de Ferrara.' He also worked in Padua in the 1460s where he illuminated two manuscripts copied by Bartolomeo Sanvito. On Federico's death in 1482 he moved to Venice.","briefDescription":"Historiated initial B showing the Virgin and Child seated among the rocks, by Franco di Giovanni de' Russi, from an illuminated manuscript, Ferrara or Urbino, 1460-1480.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"D'Ancona, P. and Aeschlimann, E., <u>Dictionnaire des miniaturistes du Moyen Age et de la Renaissance dans les différentes contrées de l'Europe</u>, Milan: U. Hoepli, 1949.","id":"AUTH359728"},"details":"pp.187-8 and plate opposite.","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Levi d'Ancona, M., 'Contributi al problema di Franco dei Russi', in <u>Commentari</u>, XI (1960), pl. XII, fig. 4."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1991</u>"},{"reference":{"text":"Alexander, J.J.G. (ed.),<u>The Painted Page. Italian Renaissance Book Illumination (1450-1550)</u>, exhibition catalogue, London, Royal Academy of Arts 27 October 1994 - 22 January 1995, Munich - New York, 1994.","id":"AUTH359713"},"details":"p. 84.","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ponzi, Eva, 'Franco dei Russi o Anonimo giraldiano? Riflessioni su alcuni manoscritti della biblioteca di Federico da Montefeltro', Studi Medievali e Moderni arte letteratura storia Anno 23, no. 2 (2019), 155-176 (p. 167, n. 45). "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"The Virgin Mary","id":"N480"},{"text":"The Christ Child","id":"N1185"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"historiated initial","id":"AAT194390"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1275-1991"],"accessionNumberNum":"1275","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1991,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-14","recordCreationDate":"2000-11-29","availableToBook":false}}