The Sherborne Missal

The Sherborne Missal is one of the finest examples of early book painting. It was commissioned for the Benedictine Abbey of Sherborne in Dorset by Richard Mitford, Bishop of Salisbury 1396-1407, and Robert Bruyning, Abbot of Sherborne 1385-1415. The scribe was a Benedictine monk named John Whas, and the chief illuminator was John Siferwas, a Dominican friar and a leading artist of the 'International Gothic' period. Siferwas' work is very much in the tradition of English medieval painting, excelling in portraiture and naturalistic representation.

In this superbly illustrated study introduction to The Sherborne Missal, Janet Backhouse explores its creation and history and assesses its importance as a masterpiece in the history of English art.