The Barnard 1 manuscript is a 14th century Franciscan antiphoner from Siena, dating roughly from 1340 to 1360 and consisting of 154 folios, each page of which contains antiphons and responsories of Matins and Vespers, written in square block notations in a gothic liturgical script. The manuscript currently belongs to the Barnard College Library of Columbia University and is housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of the university.

Within the manuscript are four historiated illuminations of initials attributed to Niccolò di Ser Sozzo (fl. 1334-63), alongside several painted initials that are not historiated. Those historiated are:

• The Elevation of the Host (189)
• The Death of Francis (211)
• The Stigmata of Francis (220)
• Saint Anthony of Padua (253)

The aim of this exhibition is to explore these four illuminations, their historical and liturgical contexts, and compare them to a brief selection of contemporary 13th and 14th century artistic depictions of their narratives. Please proceed by opening any of the links at the top of the page.

Proper use of the "Comparison" function requires the user to open the thumbnail of the image and opening the small image that appears afterwards, thereby opening the image in full resolution.