The Gathering of the Manna
The Master of Catherine of Cleves, c. 1440
No print size passed the check for this piece: at 16 x 16 in, 146 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged. We would rather show it than sell a soft print.
See pieces like it you can buyThe Israelites stoop to gather manna from the desert floor at dawn, rendered by the anonymous Dutch illuminator known only as the Master of Catherine of Cleves — one of the most inventive artists of the fifteenth century, working in a Northern palette of saturated blues, pinks, and burnished gold quite distinct from contemporary French or Flemish illumination. This scene, from the Book of Exodus, was chosen for its typological resonance: manna, bread given directly by God, was read throughout the Middle Ages as a prefiguration of the Eucharist. The border surrounding the miniature carries the Master's signature invention — a dense, almost trompe-l'œil scatter of naturalistic flora unusual for the period. The book was made for Catherine of Cleves, Duchess of Guelders, and remains one of the most lavishly illuminated manuscripts to survive from its century.
- Maker
- The Master of Catherine of Cleves
- Date
- c. 1440
- Medium of the original
- Illuminated manuscript
- Original held by
- The Morgan Library & Museum
- Credit
- The Morgan Library & Museum
- Rights
- Public domain, verified
- Catalogue number
- PA-00921
Before a size goes on sale, the file is measured against it: pixels per inch at that size, how much of the picture a crop would lose, tone and sharpness. A size that fails is not offered, so there is nothing to choose wrong.
| Size | Why |
|---|---|
| 16 x 16 in | 146 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged |
| 20 x 20 in | 117 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged |
| 30 x 30 in | 78 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged |
- Scanned
- 2026-10-07
- Master file
- 2,381 x 2,347 px, srgb
- Tone
- Darks 47, lights 210 of 255; 0% clipped light, 0% clipped dark
- Colour
- 3.4% vivid
- Sharpness
- 163.47
The Scriptorium
Knotwork, spiral, and the beast that becomes a letter.
All 35 pieces from The Scriptorium
