The Caporali Missal: A Masterpiece of Renaissance Illumination

This recently rediscovered illuminated missal was created for a Franciscan monastery in the Umbrian town of Montone in 1469. Acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Caporali Missal—so called because its illuminators were brothers Giapeco and Bartolomeo Caporali—has survived in its entirety, and this exhibition catalog, edited by Fliegel (curator, medieval art, Cleveland Museum of Art; A Higher Contemplation: Sacred Meaning in the Christian Art of the Middle Ages), contextualizes the work with essays, a catalog, a reference list, and an index. This missal is particularly useful to researchers because it features a colophon at the end of the book, which clearly locates the item in time and place. Chapters include discussion of stylistic elements, usage of missals, and a historic examination of the monastery at Montone. Other artistic attributions to the Brothers Caporali are explored and compared to the missal.