Manuscript Illumination with the Assumption of the Virgin in an Initial A, from an Antiphonary. The solemnity of the scene of Jesus' apostles witnessing the miraculous Assumption of the Virgin into heaven is radically transformed by the depiction of a monstrous green dragon whose body forms the opening letter A of the chant.
The Virgin Mary is seen with hands crossed on her breasts in the arms of Evangelist John at the crucifixion of her son. Christ is depicted during the crucifixion with a crown of thrones, bleeding, affixed with three nails to a cross with titulus inscribed INRI. While Mary Magdalen is depicted embracing the base of the cross. There are several other people depicted around the cross, including: two holy women and soldiers casting lots with dice. Scene in landscape with distant city of Jerusalem, hills, and trees. Margins with scattered flowers, including roses and violas, inhabited by three birds, butterfly, and fly.
The Virgin Mary, veiled, holds her newborn baby, Jesus Christ, in the bed in the manger. Joseph the Carpenter is featured sitting across from her. Two animals are visible looking in at the newborn Christ.
Anne is seen instructing Mary in a room with three unnamed women. Anne can be seen with a hand on Mary’s back, as a kneeling Mary reads from the texts.
In an oval mandorla, Jesus gently leads his mother the Virgin Mary to heaven, where she will be crowned. Above them, the Lord holds her crown. Angels and Old Testament figures at the sides carry scrolls with passages that Christian commentators have interpreted in relationship to the Virgin Mary. They refer to the Virgin as a beautiful queen and the fulfillment of prophecy. The full-page miniature prefaces the prayers recited by the priest at Mass on the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin.
Mary, depicted wearing a red cloak and blue dress with her hand over her heart, sits on the ground below the crucified Christ. Holding her is either the Evangelist John or an angel. Soldiers stand to the right of the cross.
Virgin Mary, crowned, with joined hands raised, stands within rayed mandorla shaped and supported by 26 angels. Miniature within architectural frame, enclosing two standing figures, possibly prophets, in architectural niches. Bottom of frame is inscribed with incipit of CONV(ER)TE NOS D(EV)S SALVTARIS N(OSTE)R ET AV(ER)TE from Psalm 085:04
As with other depictions of the Visitation, Mary embraces her cousin Elizabeth. Mary pregnant with Jesus when to visit her cousin, Elizabeth while she was pregnant with John the Baptist. The Visitation came after the Annunciation.
Scene caption in French above, CI COM NOSTRE DAME ET SEI(N)TE YSABEL SE(N)TREUOIENT. From a book of hours for the use of Soissons; written and illuminated in Paris, France, in the 1230s.
The Virgin Mary is seen clasping hands with Elizabeth wife to Zechariah. While Mary is pregnant with, Jesus, Elizabeth is pregnant with her son, John the Baptist. She would have journeyed to visit Anne, who was also her cousin. This motif would have been seen after the Annunciation.
