Primo Miniatore di San Domenico

Primo Miniatore di San Domenico is the designation given to an anonymous Italian illuminator active during the early Trecento, roughly spanning the period 1300 to 1320. The name suggests the artist was the principal miniaturist associated with a convent or institution dedicated to Saint Dominic during the early years of the 14th century.

The known output of Primo Miniatore di San Domenico consists of illuminated manuscript fragments derived from liturgical and biblical texts, demonstrating proficiency in both decorative initials and narrative figural scenes. Five of these works are represented in museum collections, establishing the artist’s significance in the study of Gothic manuscript illumination. These pieces are preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The surviving works include two figural miniatures from the borders of a Latin Bible: the Medallion from the Border of a Latin Bible: The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise and the Medallion from the Border of a Latin Bible: The Sixth Day of Creation. Liturgical materials include bifolia drawn from an Antiphonary, specifically the Bifolium from an Antiphonary: Initial M with Saint Dominic Preaching, which incorporates detailed figures and musical notation.

As these rare manuscripts often fall within the public domain, reproductions of the work of Primo Miniatore di San Domenico are accessible as high-quality prints. Researchers examining early Italian religious iconography and manuscript tradition frequently utilize these documents, which are sometimes categorized as Primo Miniatore di San Domenico prints when reproduced as study materials or downloadable artwork.