“Victory of Humility over Pride”
“Victory of Humility over Pride” is an ink and tempera on paper painting by an unknown artist. It is painted on a parchment leaf page from a German illuminated manuscript titled Jungfrauenspiegel, or Speculum Virginum in Latin, meaning “Mirror of Virgins”. The manuscript was written in the twelfth century, while the illustration was painted several years later, circa 1200.
Jungfrauenspiegel was a religious instruction book for aristocratic girls. The author is believed to have been Conrad Porta, the spiritual adviser to the sister of Richard, the abbot of Springiersbach. It was written as a dialogue between a spiritual adviser and his mentor, an aristocratic girl. Jungfrauenspiegel provided guidance for women who wanted to live a cloistered and spiritual life. This book was widely read from its creation in the twelfth century up until the Reformation in the early sixteenth century.
“Victory of Humility over Pride” is from the fourth chapter in the manuscript, titled “On Pride”. The knights depicted in combat with Norman shields are allegorical representations of two virtues defeating two vices. This follows a long tradition of depicting virtues and vices as battling knights, dating back to at least the fifth century. This is an unfinished leaf, with this fighting knights on the top half of the page while the bottom half is empty. Over the years, all of the miniature illustrations have been removed from the original manuscript.
“Victory of Humility over Pride” is currently in the collections of the Museum August Kestner in Hanover, Germany.
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