La Cité de Dieu (The City of God)
The book La Cité de Dieu is a work of theology describing the City of God and the City of the Pagans. On folio 5 (the second image), The City of God, in the upper left, is filled with church spires and angels. The City of Pagans, below, is inhabited by flying demons and round-domed structures. A battle between the two cities is depicted on the right. God rules heaven while devils stoke a cauldron in hell. This luxurious copy of Augustine's La Cité de Dieu may have belonged to the famous fifteenth-century bibliophile, Jean, duke of Berry.
Orosius Master and Assistants, French (active Paris), from 1400 - 1418. Written by Saint Augustine.
Geography:
Made in Paris, France, Europe
Date:
1408-1410Medium:
Vellum with gold leaf, ink, and paintsDimensions:
Book: 17 13/16 × 13 × 2 7/8 inches (45.2 × 33 × 7.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
Prints, Drawings, and PhotographsObject Location:
1945-65-1Credit Line:
The Philip S. Collins Collection, gift of Mrs. Philip S. Collins in memory of her husband, 1945
Made in Paris, France, Europe
Date:
1408-1410Medium:
Vellum with gold leaf, ink, and paintsDimensions:
Book: 17 13/16 × 13 × 2 7/8 inches (45.2 × 33 × 7.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
Prints, Drawings, and PhotographsObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1945-65-1Credit Line:
The Philip S. Collins Collection, gift of Mrs. Philip S. Collins in memory of her husband, 1945