Getty Museum receives major gift of rare Italian manuscript pages
Getty Museum receives major gift of rare Italian manuscript pages
The J. Paul Getty Museum has received a gift of 38 rare manuscript pages by Italian artists spanning the 12th to 17th centuries, marking the largest donation of artwork to the museum in decades, it was announced Monday.
The works depict religious scenes from the lives of Jesus, Mary and various saints and significantly expand Getty’s medieval and Renaissance holdings, according to Getty officials.
The pages, many of which originated in Christian choir books, were donated by collectors T. Robert Burke and Katherine States Burke.
“This generous gift will almost double our representation of Italian manuscript (pages), making a transformative enhancement to the status and quality of our medieval and Renaissance collections,” Timothy Potts, the Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle director of the Getty Museum, said in a statement.
“These works will be fully accessible to students and scholars, and will be highlighted regularly in our changing displays in the museum’s galleries.”
The donation includes works by renowned 14th- and 15th-century Italian artists such as Lorenzo Monaco, Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci, Don Simone Camaldolese, Lippo Vanni, Giovanni di Paolo and Sano di Pietro, according to Getty officials. Many of these artists also created altarpieces, frescoes and panel paintings.
Among the most notable works is “Initial V: Christ Blessing,” painted by Lorenzo Monaco, a leading figure in early 15th-century Florence. The work features Christ nestled within the swirling foliage of a large letter V, rendered in vivid color and gold. It is the first work by Monaco to enter Getty’s collection.
The Getty said it plans to feature the newly acquired pages in a dedicated exhibition in summer 2027.
The museum will also launch an online version through Google Arts & Culture and make high-resolution images available through its digital collection.
More information is available at getty.edu.
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