This manuscript contains over one hundred and forty illustrations of the life of Christ, some of which fill the page. Upon closer inspection, the manuscript appears to be a draft copy, full of corrections and comments like Hic stabit figura de filio prodigo (“This is where the figure of the Prodigal Son should go”). It is worth noting that the notes for the miniaturists are in Dutch while the notes for the compiler of the book are in Latin. Ghent University Library also owns the final copy of this manuscript, inviting a comparison. In terms of content, the compilation is related to the theological training of the client, Raphael de Mercatellis. It contains a poem about the Mystic Lamb by Sedulius, biographies of several saints, and two Gospel harmonies by Juvencus and Johannes Gerson. Such “harmonies” merge the accounts of the life of Christ from the various gospels into one coherent story. [Flandrica]

(This work is part of a unique collection of manuscripts collected by Raphael de Mercatellis, son of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy and abbot of St Bavo’s in Ghent from 1578. It is one of the rare medieval manuscript collections that were preserved as a whole and can be unambiguously attributed to the owner.)