Praying Prophet

Lorenzo Monaco

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of an alphabetic initial. The image features a decorated letter 'O' with rich colors and intricate designs, surrounded by a gold leaf background. The letter is composed of vines, foliage, shades of blue, green, pink, and gold, and bejeweled circular motifs. Inside the 'O', a robed figure is depicted, raising one hand. The use of gold and detailed patterns is indicative of illuminated manuscript illustrations typical of Medieval or Renaissance art.