Tag Archives: 14th Century

1390: And the Books Were Opened

Posted on February 20, 2021 by corvusfugit

Jacobello Alberegno’s polyptych of the Apocalypse was originally part of a much larger set of artworks in the church of the Benedictine convent of San Giovanni Evangelista on the Venetian island of Torcello; it is now on display in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, Angels, Art, Books, Christianity, Cryptids, Hell, Italy, Jacobello Alberegno, Painting, Religion | Leave a comment

1307: Qualiter caput hominis situatur

Posted on September 1, 2019 by corvusfugit

This llustration from an early fourteenth century compendium shows the five functions of the brain: perception, imagination, estimation, cogitation, and memory. Drawn from the works of Thomas Aquinas and the Arabic philosopher Avicenna, the theory posits that sensory information enters … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, Art, Avicenna, France, Great Britain, Illustration, Philosophy, Psychology, Thomas Aquinas | Leave a comment

1828: Sala Dante

Posted on May 5, 2019 by corvusfugit

Joseph Anton Koch’s frescos of Dante’s Inferno (1825-28) decorate the Sala Dante in the Casino Massimo, a Roman Villa. Several scenes from the poem are illustrated here, including Dante and Virgil’s ride on the monster Geryon (upper right) and Count … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, 1820's, 19th Century, Animals, Art, Austria, Christianity, Dante, Demons, Italy, Joseph Anton Koch, Mammals, Painting, Poetry, Religion | Comments Off

1357: Fruit

Posted on November 23, 2018 by corvusfugit

In passynge be the lond of CATHAYE toward the higℏ ynde & toward BACHARYE, men passen be a kyngdom þat men clepen CALDILHE, þat is a fuƚƚ fair contre. And þere growetℏ a maner of fruyt as þougℏ it weren … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, Animals, Books, Chaldia, Food and Drink, Great Britain, John Mandeville, Oddities, Plants | Comments Off

1936: Gold Were His Limbs where He Was Bird

Posted on March 10, 2018 by corvusfugit

In 1921, the Istituto nazionale dantesco in Milan commissioned a lavish edition of the Divine Comedy to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Dante’s death; the edition was to include an original color plate for each of the 100 canti of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, 1930's, 20th Century, Amos Nattini, Art, Books, Cryptids, Dante, Italy, Poetry, Printmaking | Leave a comment

1371: The Strangest Duel

Posted on February 18, 2018 by corvusfugit

The strangest duel I ever met with, was one fought Between a dog and a man in the year 1371, in the presence of King Charles V of France… A Gentleman of the Court was supposed to have murdered another, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, 18th Century, Animals, Dogs, Duelling, Great Britain, King Charles V, Mammals, Murder, Susannah Dobson | Leave a comment

13th Century: Brother Wolf

Posted on November 29, 2017 by corvusfugit

OF THE MOST HOLY MIRACLE OF ST FRANCIS IN TAMING THE FIERCE WOLF OF GUBBIO At the time when St Francis was living in the city of Gubbio, a large wolf appeared in the neighbourhood, so terrible and so fierce, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 13th Century, 14th Century, Animals, Art, Books, Christianity, Mammals, Religion, Wolves | Leave a comment

1842: Behold the Beast with the Sharpened Tail!

Posted on November 5, 2017 by corvusfugit

In cantos XVI and XVII of the Inferno, Dante and his guide Virgil meet the monster Geryon, who alights on the edge of the abyss after Virgil has summoned him. In front, he has the face of an innocent man, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, 1840's, 19th Century, Art, Cryptids, Dante, Francesco Scaramuzza, Italy, Poetry, Printmaking, Virgil | Leave a comment

1349: Wound

Posted on October 21, 2017 by corvusfugit

Jean Le Noir: Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, Duchess of Normandy (before 1349); this page shows the chest wound of Christ. (source) One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, Art, Books, Christianity, France, Jean Le Noir, Luxembourg, Religion | Leave a comment

1321: Kleptomania

Posted on October 8, 2017 by corvusfugit

In Some Observations Made in Travelling Through France, Italy, &c. in the Years 1720, 1721 and 1722, Edward Wright relates being told in Florence about one of Dante’s bad habits: This great man, we are told, had a most unhappy … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 14th Century, 15th Century, 18th Century, Andrea del Castagno, Art, Books, Dante, Edward Wright, Italy, Mental Health, Painting, Poetry, Portraits | Leave a comment