Initial S: Saint Ambrose, cutting
A painted initial S from a 1440 manuscript attributed to the Olivetan Master, held by the J. Paul Getty Museum, showing a bishop saint inside a decorated letter for a devotional or liturgical book. The picture shows a bearded bishop in a red vestment with a gold-trimmed mitre, holding a crozier and an open book with gilded and blue ground, framed by red and blue scrollwork; a designer might take its dense gold leaf, ornamental letter framing, and jewel-toned palette as models for decorative initials.
