Caleb Wing and the Ninth Miniature: An Investigation into a Copied Manuscript Leaf and the Bibliophile Community in 19th Century England

Abstract

Buried within the famous Isabella Breviary, on the recto of page 37, there is a depiction of the circumcision of Christ. The miniature depicts Joseph and Mary on their knees, watching the circumcision of Christ being performed by a priest and another unrecognizable religious figure. Saying that this page is unknown to art historical scholarship is an understatement—the circumcision illumination in the breviary has never been referenced in scholarly writing. 
 Yet buried in an art collector’s house in the small city of Kingston Ontario, there is a beautifully detailed copy of the basically unknown circumcision leaf from the Isabella Breviary. The copy underwent chemical testing and it was revealed that the leaf was created in the 19th century. How did a copy of this unknown leaf end up in a small Canadian city? Who created this copy, and why? This presentation will explore the history, iconography and provenance of the Kingston Leaf. Although the Kingston Leaf is an almost direct copy of the original leaf in the Isabella Breviary, the small differences between the two pages provide clues that I believe connect the Kingston Leaf to the famous manuscript copier, Caleb Wing. But more importantly, the provenance reveals a community of 19th century English bibliophiles and art dealers, who were thinking about and evaluating medieval art. Their trades and deals surrounding the Kingston Leaf, and the Isabella Breviary, provide insight into the Gothic revival, and the Victorian romanticism of medieval art.