Saints Peter and Paul

Ludovico Gaci

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of an illuminated manuscript page with sheet music and an ornate initial. The page contains medieval musical notation with black notes on a five-line red stave. The text appears to be in Latin, written in a Gothic script. The left margin is adorned with a vertical line of decorative floral motifs in gold, pink, and green. In the center of the page, there is a large decorated initial which encloses a highly detailed miniature scene. This scene depicts two figures against a blue sky and landscape background, surrounded by a golden frame that integrates the initial’s swirls. The borders of the page are further decorated with elaborate and colorful vine-like patterns and small floral elements.