Cutting from a Gradual
A cutting from a choir book, a gradual, painted in Siena around 1440 by Giovanni di Paolo and held by the J. Paul Getty Museum, probably made for liturgical use in a church. The picture shows a haloed figure in blue and red robes reaching toward a bearded older man in orange and green who crouches under a long blue-grey creature with a serpentine body and red wings. Gold leaf fills the background, and the saturated blues, reds and oranges against gold offer a reference for ornamental medieval palettes and for compositions that pair a large, sinuous beast with small human figures.
