Speculum Animae

Speculum Animae

An enigmatic image composition is found immediately on the first pages of the manuscript: four medallions with mysterious scenes are always arranged around a simple red cross in the middle. Thus, we find depictions of Christ before the kneeling faithful, three men united by a halo – the Holy Trinity? –, a skeleton standing in a green field, or a wondrous monster. However, the motifs of these round picture tablets also include a gentle river landscape, a compass, and an angel.

An Impressive Testimonial to Catalonian Faith

All of these depictions illustrate a religious devotional book with the Latin title of Speculum Animae, "Mirror of the Soul". Sister Isabel de Villena (ca. 1430–1490) is considered to be the scribe and artist responsible for this impressive Catalonian manuscript. She was the daughter of the famous Marqués de Villena, an important Castilian noble in the 15th century. She worked in the Real Monasterio de la Trinidad in Valencia, for which the Speculum Animae was made. The manuscript disappeared from there during the 18th century and finally reached the Spanish National Library in the 19th century.

63 Biblical Scenes

Aside from the enigmatic medallions already mentioned, the 88-page manuscript is also decorated with 63 full-page miniatures. These illustrate spiritual meditation on the Passion of the Christ with delightful, subtle pen drawings, which are also painstakingly colored. Alongside a depiction of Adam and Eve in Paradise, one primarily finds detailed scenes from the Life of Christ, from the Annunciation and birth to the Passion. Elegant, elongated figures are reminiscent of Gothic design vocabulary, and the colorful clothing and headdresses allow us to draw conclusions about the fashion of the period. As a result, the manuscript of the Speculum Animae by Isabel de Villena is an all-around impressive testimonial to Catalonian illumination and faith in the late 15th century!