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Initial E with Judgment of Solomon and Windmill
From the Windmill Psalter
East Anglia, England, late 13th century
The Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, M.102
Later manuscripts continued to explore the possibilities of juxtaposing paint and drawing, and few books equal the masterful Windmill Psalter in this regard. The illustration of the initial letter “e” plays on the painted depictions of King Solomon in judgment and other figures, all of whom float over a gossamer web of delicate penwork. These pen drawings invite the viewer to peer closely at the complexity of their designs, and further mark the artist’s mastery of the drawn technique.