Arts

21 pages, 4375 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Navigating Class, Gender, and Urban Mobile Spaces: Dissecting Iranian Car Social Spaces in Cinematic Narratives

by Nasim Naghavi

Arts 2025, 14(3), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030050 - 5 May 2025

This study scrutinizes the active role of mobile urban spaces in shaping and generating social space. It explores the depiction of car spaces in two Iranian films in their cinematic narratives, symbolic meanings, and influence on the perceptions of urban mobile space, often [...] Read more.

This study scrutinizes the active role of mobile urban spaces in shaping and generating social space. It explores the depiction of car spaces in two Iranian films in their cinematic narratives, symbolic meanings, and influence on the perceptions of urban mobile space, often referred to as third spaces in the urban studies literature. This interdisciplinary paper investigates the socio-cultural manifestations of the car interiors in two hybrid docufiction films: Ten, directed by Abbas Kiarostami, and Taxi, by Jafar Panahi. Built on the new mobilities paradigm’s perspective on the mobile space of cars wherein social space is inevitably produced and re-produced, this paper reveals the socio-cultural dynamics of the car space in the films’ representations. The car space produces subjectivities, exhibits socio-cultural foundations, offers a sense of belonging and place-making, and provides opportunities for informal social interactions, while embodying power dynamics. The central aim is to revise our conceptualizations of mobility spaces by examining spatial practices that revolve around the car spaces. The paper integrates cinematic representation as a resource for planners and social scientists to conceptualize mobility spaces, introducing diegetic cabinography filmmaking style. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Arts and Urban Development)

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22 pages, 4594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Restoring Authenticity: Literary, Linguistic, and Computational Study of the Manuscripts of Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album

by Evgeny Pyshkin and John Blake

Arts 2025, 14(3), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030049 - 1 May 2025

Abstract

This research contributes to the studies on the origins and transformations of Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album, Op. 39 using the linguistic methods of discourse, metaphor, and comparative analysis to explore a number of connected questions and their impact on how the audiences and scholars [...] Read more.

This research contributes to the studies on the origins and transformations of Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album, Op. 39 using the linguistic methods of discourse, metaphor, and comparative analysis to explore a number of connected questions and their impact on how the audiences and scholars perceive and understand the compositions. These methods are supported by the technology provided by computational linguistics, such as large language models along with music analysis algorithms based on signature pattern elicitation. This article examines how artificial intelligence technologies can shed light on the differing views on the Children’s Album. The meanings and implications of the published reordering of the pieces are explored. The influence of Schumann’s Album for the Young and the broader pedagogical and cultural significance of editorial transformations is investigated. Through this interdisciplinary approach, this study offers new insights into the compositional intent and interpretive possibilities of Tchaikovsky’s work. The presented results of the musicology, literary, computational, and linguistic analyses complement the few scholarly studies aimed at unveiling the intriguing metaphors and connections of the Children’s Album, which tend to remain in the shadows of his larger-scale piano and symphonic works. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Musical Arts and Theatre)

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23 pages, 21870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Adoption of Eastern Models in Jewelry from Al-Andalus During the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries: Propaganda and Images of Power

by Alicia Carrillo-Calderero

Arts 2025, 14(3), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030048 - 28 Apr 2025

Abstract

The production and creation of jewelry in al-Andalus must be understood as a phenomenon having to do with images signifying power; not only that of rulers, but also of families boasting high socio-economic status. This study aims to highlight the adoption of Middle [...] Read more.

The production and creation of jewelry in al-Andalus must be understood as a phenomenon having to do with images signifying power; not only that of rulers, but also of families boasting high socio-economic status. This study aims to highlight the adoption of Middle Eastern models in the design of some pieces, as can be appreciated in the examples studied, dated between the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th. To undertake this study, it was necessary to consult written sources that reveal the use of jewelry as images of power, and its importance in the society of al-Andalus. Rulers used jewels as symbols of personal authority, but also as gifts for other leaders and prominent members of their families and members of the social elite. It was necessary to formally study all the treasures preserved and dated between the end of the tenth century and the beginning of the eleventh, which made it possible to establish formal parallels with pieces of Eastern jewelry, from Fatimid Egypt and Iraq, dating from the same time. These artistic parallels manifest the adoption of Eastern models in al-Andalus jewelry, through the commercial relationships maintained with the East, especially as of the ninth century. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue History of Medieval Art)

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23 pages, 1899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Māori Identity and Reflexive Ethnography in Research on HORI’s Art

by Elżbieta Perzycka-Borowska

Arts 2025, 14(3), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030047 - 24 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article presents a multidimensional analysis of the work of the Māori artist Hori from postcolonial, cultural, and autoethnographic perspectives. Drawing on the researcher’s experience as a visitor in Ōtaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand, an environment deeply rooted in Māori heritage, the text demonstrates how [...] Read more.

This article presents a multidimensional analysis of the work of the Māori artist Hori from postcolonial, cultural, and autoethnographic perspectives. Drawing on the researcher’s experience as a visitor in Ōtaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand, an environment deeply rooted in Māori heritage, the text demonstrates how Hori’s art becomes a field of negotiation over identity, visual decolonization, and dialogue with global currents of socially engaged art. Particular attention is given to Matariki, the Māori New Year, as a context for cultural renewal, community strengthening, and the emphasis on values such as whakapapa (genealogy) and whenua (land). Through the author’s autoethnographic reflexivity, interpretation emerges as a relational process that takes into account local meanings, universal experiences of resistance, as well as the ethical and epistemological challenges involved in researching Indigenous cultures. In effect, Hori’s work appears as a transnational visual language in which aesthetics intertwines with politics and local epistemologies engage with global discourses on power, memory, and identity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Visual Arts)

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19 pages, 1536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ar(c)tivism and Policing: Unveiling the Theatrics of Justice and Resistance in Nigeria’s S

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-Sókè Movement

by Friday Gabriel and Taiwo Afolabi

Arts 2025, 14(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030046 - 23 Apr 2025

Abstract

The S

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-Sókè movement, sparked by Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests, represents a pivotal stand against systemic injustice, with its Yoruba rallying cry “S

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-sókè” (“Speak Up” or “Speak Louder”) capturing the collective demand [...] Read more.

The S

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-Sókè movement, sparked by Nigeria’s 2020 #EndSARS protests, represents a pivotal stand against systemic injustice, with its Yoruba rallying cry “S

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-sókè” (“Speak Up” or “Speak Louder”) capturing the collective demand to end police brutality, notably, by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). This study employs Digital Artivism as its theoretical lens to investigate the fusion of art and activism within the movement, analyzing how creative and performative expressions amplified its message and mobilized diverse populations. Applying Feldman’s Model of Art Criticism, it dissects the theatrical elements of selected protest artworks, revealing their role in inciting resistance and fostering solidarity in the pursuit of justice. By situating S

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-Sókè within global discourses on art and social justice, this research underscores its significance as a model of artivism’s power to challenge oppressive systems and inspire collective action. The critique of these artworks illustrates their lasting influence on Nigeria’s socio-political landscape and their resonance with worldwide struggles against systemic violence and inequality. Highlighting the transformative potential of theatrical activism, this study advances understanding of how digital artivism can unite voices, elevate causes, and drive societal change. Full article

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18 pages, 509 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applied Musicology and the Responsibility for Shaping the Cultural Scene in Serbia: On the Experience of Working for the Serbian Ministry of Culture

by Ivana Medić

Arts 2025, 14(3), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14030045 - 22 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article presents the first discussion of a musicologist’s work as a member of the commission appointed by the Serbian Ministry of Culture to select cultural projects in the field of contemporary music creation and performance for annual funding. The analysis draws from [...] Read more.

This article presents the first discussion of a musicologist’s work as a member of the commission appointed by the Serbian Ministry of Culture to select cultural projects in the field of contemporary music creation and performance for annual funding. The analysis draws from the disciplines of applied musicology and autoethnography. My appointment at the Serbian Ministry of Culture lasted five years, from 2018 to 2022, during which I observed first-hand the inner workings of the Serbian cultural scene and associated policies; more importantly, I utilized my musicological expertise to influence the very same cultural scene. The article also presents the legislative and practical challenges of working in a country that allocates less than 1% of its annual budget for culture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applied Musicology and Ethnomusicology)

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31 pages, 20729 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Performance-Theory Revisit of the Conflict Scene at the Ventershoek (2927CA1) Rock Art Site

by David M. Witelson

Arts 2025, 14(2), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020044 - 20 Apr 2025

Abstract

Late contact-era depictions of inter-group conflict in southern African rock art include references to the image-makers and their opponents, who must also have been able to view the images. Performance theory allows researchers to go beyond the conventional question about who made the [...] Read more.

Late contact-era depictions of inter-group conflict in southern African rock art include references to the image-makers and their opponents, who must also have been able to view the images. Performance theory allows researchers to go beyond the conventional question about who made the images by also addressing for whom the images were made. This case study uses performance theory to explore several details of the well-known conflict scene at Ventershoek (Jammerberg, Free State Province, South Africa). In it, ‘San hunter-gatherers’ appear to contest the possession of cattle, traditionally the property of ‘Bantu agro-pastoralists’. It is argued that, in addition to depicting conflict, the image-makers painted allusions to their ritualised, spirit-world mediation of conflict, their opponent’s use of protective war medicine and, potentially, lateralised symbols of cattle ownership that would have been comprehensible to audiences on both sides. It is argued further, from performance theory and the painted details, that the Ventershoek conflict scene contributed to the image-makers’ social construction of reality concerning their relationships with other groups. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Art Studies)

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1 pages, 125 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Ballet (2022). “Alpha Females”: Feminist Transgressions in Industrial Music. Arts 11: 37

by Nicolas Ballet

Arts 2025, 14(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020043 - 17 Apr 2025

Abstract

Figures 12 and 14a,b have been removed from the original publication (Ballet 2022) at the author’s request [...] Full article

26 pages, 20392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rock Art and Social Memory in the Deseado Massif: An Approach from the Study of Superimpositions in Cueva 2, Los Toldos, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

by Natalia Carden and Laura Miotti

Arts 2025, 14(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020042 - 16 Apr 2025

Abstract

In this work, we explore the way in which rock art mediates social memory. Our study case is based on the rock art sequence established for Los Toldos archaeological locality, Argentina, which begins in the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and extends to the Late Holocene. [...] Read more.

In this work, we explore the way in which rock art mediates social memory. Our study case is based on the rock art sequence established for Los Toldos archaeological locality, Argentina, which begins in the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and extends to the Late Holocene. The analysis focuses on superimpositions, with an emphasis on the human attitudes towards previous images. Despite changes detected along the sequence, Los Toldos manifests a strong emphasis on recalling the past, which is evidenced by the superimposition, replication, maintenance and recycling of motifs. These behaviors show a multi-generational dialogue that kept an ancestral memory alive but also recreated it through grouping images from different times for telling stories. This study places an emphasis on the users/consumers of rock art rather than on its makers. This focus narrows the gap between the archaeological record and the ethnographic sources by claiming that the Tehuelche people were engaged with rock art even though they did not make it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Art Studies)

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17 pages, 287 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Cultural Diplomacy and Informal Artistic Relations in East Central Europe in the 20th Century: A Global Perspective

by Irena Kossowska

Arts 2025, 14(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020041 - 8 Apr 2025

Abstract

The contributors to this Special Issue engage in a critical debate on key questions arising from discourses on the history and socio-political foundations of international traveling art exhibitions and cultural exchange [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cultural Diplomacy and Informal Artistic Relations in East Central Europe in the 20th Century: A Global Perspective)

19 pages, 10031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Reflections of Archaeological Studies on Contemporary Glass Art: Phrygian Valley

by Selvin Yeşilay and Özlem Güvenir

Arts 2025, 14(2), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020040 - 7 Apr 2025

Abstract

Archaeology is a well-established discipline that sheds light on human history and uncovers the mysteries of materials, their origins, production methods, and areas of use. It provides significant insights into various topics such as the production history of glass and other materials, trade [...] Read more.

Archaeology is a well-established discipline that sheds light on human history and uncovers the mysteries of materials, their origins, production methods, and areas of use. It provides significant insights into various topics such as the production history of glass and other materials, trade routes, manufacturing processes, degradation mechanisms, regional usages, and coloring com-positions. Glass, an ancient yet contemporary material, can transmit, absorb, and reflect light. Appreciating glass art requires recognizing its rich history, offering artists technical and aesthetic possibilities in modern life and architecture. This study examines the influence of archaeological research and the artistic character of ancient glass on contemporary glass art. Archaeological findings from Turkey and around the world have been reviewed, with a particular focus on the Phrygian Valley, located in and around Eskişehir, an important region for the Phrygian civilization. Artifacts unearthed through excavations and sur-face surveys conducted in the Phrygian Valley, and preserved in the Eskişehir Eti Archaeology Museum, have been analyzed. The museum houses approximately 22.500 artifacts, including sculptures, steles, ceramics, glass vessels, metal objects, jewelry, and coins. Inspired by these artifacts and Phrygian culture, original glass designs have been created using techniques such as stained glass, lampworking, and glass painting. The aim of the study is to interpret Phrygian art and culture through innovative designs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Applied Arts)

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23 pages, 2444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Theory of Pablo Picasso’s Palette of Words: Indexed Information and Context in His Art and Poetry Spanning the Occupation

by Ryan Standage and Nathan Nossal

Arts 2025, 14(2), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020039 - 31 Mar 2025

Abstract

It has always been understood that Pablo Picasso imbued his arts with a rich symbolism. Those representations could be understood readily, at times only with some effort, or utterly inaccessible at others. A part of that symbolism is yet to be understood, with [...] Read more.

It has always been understood that Pablo Picasso imbued his arts with a rich symbolism. Those representations could be understood readily, at times only with some effort, or utterly inaccessible at others. A part of that symbolism is yet to be understood, with numerous points of information and cross-reference “hiding” in plain sight. He was fond of newsprint as a substrate and medium for painting, not only during wartime, but especially so in the deprivations of World War II. The relationship between some paintings typical during the period and the newsprint on which they were done was intense, such that the substrate inhabits the medium, sharing equal part with the composition. Around the same time or after, Picasso was crafting poems of an often cryptic nature. An in-depth look at two poems reveals a multitude of references to paintings on newsprint and to the contents of that newsprint. With new understandings of those symbols, evidence emerges that Picasso’s “palette of words” was more than just metaphor, but also descriptive of a theory and a method which the artist put into practice in at least two instances of WWII-era newsprint paintings and famously cryptic poems, detailed here. Full article

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22 pages, 6213 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shouting Catfish and Subjugated Thunder God: A Popular Deity’s Criticism of the Governmental Authority in the Wake of the Ansei Edo Earthquake in Catfish Prints

by Kumiko McDowell

Arts 2025, 14(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020038 - 29 Mar 2025

Abstract

Soon after the devastating Ansei Edo earthquake in 1855, popular prints known as catfish prints (namazu-e) circulated widely. These prints were rooted in the folk belief that a giant catfish beneath the earth caused earthquakes. Various types of catfish prints were [...] Read more.

Soon after the devastating Ansei Edo earthquake in 1855, popular prints known as catfish prints (namazu-e) circulated widely. These prints were rooted in the folk belief that a giant catfish beneath the earth caused earthquakes. Various types of catfish prints were published: some depicted a punished earthquake catfish and served as protective charms against future quakes, while others functioned as sharp social commentary. In the latter type, the catfish was portrayed as a popular deity capable of bringing favorable societal change for people in the lower social class, symbolizing hope for commoners through reduced economic disparities after the disaster. The print “Prodigal Buddha” positioned the catfish as an antihero, criticizing the Tokugawa government’s inefficacy and the failure of religious institutions to provide spiritual salvation. By juxtaposing the catfish—now a newly popular deity—with a thunder god, formerly a fearsome deity but now submissively obeying the catfish, the print effectively visualizes the shift in status between the two. This article examines the criticism directed at political and religious authorities in the aftermath of the disaster, analyzing the layered symbolism of the thunder gods in the print. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Japanese Buddhist Art of the 19th–21st Centuries)

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53 pages, 29757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards a ‘Social Art History’: Ancient Egyptian Metalworkers in Context(s) and the Creation of Value

by Alisée Devillers

Arts 2025, 14(2), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020037 - 27 Mar 2025

Abstract

In this paper, I argue for a ‘social art history’ that embraces all protagonists of ancient Egyptian artistic production and integrates them into the global process of creating prestige through art. The raison d’être of artists is to translate their skills into material [...] Read more.

In this paper, I argue for a ‘social art history’ that embraces all protagonists of ancient Egyptian artistic production and integrates them into the global process of creating prestige through art. The raison d’être of artists is to translate their skills into material and immaterial media using culturally embedded codes and ideological trends of their time. In the process, artists—or at least top artists who accessed restricted knowledge—created value and prestige as a means of competition between rival elites (and the sub-elite emulating them). This paper aims to address the question of defining social value embedded in material artifacts, especially when owned by intermediary social categories such as the New Kingdom metalworkers. It will touch upon what was seen as valuable and prestigious from the Egyptians’ perspective by looking at the iconography of New Kingdom metalworkers. The paper will examine 18th–20th dynasty goldsmiths’ self-depictions as they were in charge of creating artifacts in gold, a metal connected with solar symbolism and intertwined with the divine, kingship, and membership in the high elite. Ultimately, the paper aims to tackle the question of self-presentation for people who were not part of the elite per se, i.e., the sub-elite illustrated here by the metalworkers. In so doing, it uses, in a preliminary attempt, some concepts inherited from the Chicago School of Sociology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ancient Egyptian Art Studies: Art in Motion, a Social Tool of Power and Resistance)

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22 pages, 44936 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Images in Indian Rock Art

by Meenakshi Dubey Pathak

Arts 2025, 14(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020036 - 26 Mar 2025

Abstract

In India, particularly in central India, a large number of early images were created using green pigments. Within the green images or images in the earliest style, one can see that some extremely naturalistic animal figures were made with green and dark red, [...] Read more.

In India, particularly in central India, a large number of early images were created using green pigments. Within the green images or images in the earliest style, one can see that some extremely naturalistic animal figures were made with green and dark red, and rarely in a polychrome (green, red and yellow) style. Only a few images have survived. The human figures, represented in a typical S shape in a smaller size or with an S-twist body in single outline, are highly artistic and very dynamic figures. The figures are mostly represented as dancers. Wakankar found green pigment in the Upper Paleolithic levels in Bhimbetka, and hence these images were put in the Upper Paleolithic period. These green images mainly exist in rock art sites in the surroundings of Bhimbetka in the Raisen, Sehore and Vidisha districts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Art Studies)

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20 pages, 5403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Concept of Demonstrating Non-Existent Architecture Using Light Projection

by Maciej Piekarski, Ewa Kulpińska, Krzysztof Baran and Henryk Wachta

Arts 2025, 14(2), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020035 - 25 Mar 2025

Abstract

This article covers the subject of illusory exposure of non-existent architectural objects in their original location. The authors believe that this specific conservation method is a way to disseminate knowledge about the past architectural landscape and thus to increase the identity of cities [...] Read more.

This article covers the subject of illusory exposure of non-existent architectural objects in their original location. The authors believe that this specific conservation method is a way to disseminate knowledge about the past architectural landscape and thus to increase the identity of cities and their inhabitants. The concept refers to augmented reality, but the authors use only analog optical means to visualize the virtual component. The visualization consists of projecting the object onto the walls of buildings and the ground. In order to preserve their intact condition, light projection is used. The image creates the illusion of three-dimensionality if it is perceived from the center of the projection. After a preliminary analysis of the available means of light expression, this article presents the results of this research. In the first stage, a simple geometric model was visualized using various techniques in order to evaluate them and select the optimal one. In the second stage, a virtual visualization of a specific architectural object was created. Its form and location were established based on the analysis of historical iconographic material and reports from archaeological works. The influence of local conditions on the practical possibilities of light projection was taken into account. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aesthetics in Contemporary Cities)

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6 pages, 144 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Introduction: Visuality and Academia’s Identity Problem

by Derek Conrad Murray

Arts 2025, 14(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020034 - 24 Mar 2025

Abstract

The complexities of identity have always been a point of contention and divisiveness in visually based research, its discourses, and pedagogy, which is consistent with academia across the board [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Articulations of Identity in Contemporary Aesthetics)

25 pages, 9446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The “Disappearing” of Croatian Art in Hungarian Art Exhibitions at the Turn of the 20th Century

by Samuel David Albert

Arts 2025, 14(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020033 - 21 Mar 2025

Abstract

This article examines the place of Croatian art within Hungarian art exhibitions around the turn of the century. Over close to a decade, from the 1896 Millennial Exhibition until the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the way Croatian art was displayed within Hungarian [...] Read more.

This article examines the place of Croatian art within Hungarian art exhibitions around the turn of the century. Over close to a decade, from the 1896 Millennial Exhibition until the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the way Croatian art was displayed within Hungarian exhibitions had changed. While it might seem that the ultimate absence of Croatian art in later Hungarian displays is an example of Hungarian chauvinism, the opposite is the case: Croatian art still continued to be displayed, but not as a subsidiary of Hungarian art. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Visual Arts)

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27 pages, 13168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Framing the Calendar of the Sacramentary of Messina (BNE, Ms. 52): Patronage and Byzantine Topics in Late 12th-Century Sicilian Art

by Carles Sánchez Márquez

Arts 2025, 14(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts14020032 - 20 Mar 2025

Abstract

For the Norman kings of Sicily and the ecclesiastical authorities who ruled their dioceses, Byzantine art served as both a symbol of luxury and a model of prestige. Similarly to the mosaics of Palermo, Monreale, and Cefalú, as well as textiles and goldsmithing, [...] Read more.

For the Norman kings of Sicily and the ecclesiastical authorities who ruled their dioceses, Byzantine art served as both a symbol of luxury and a model of prestige. Similarly to the mosaics of Palermo, Monreale, and Cefalú, as well as textiles and goldsmithing, the manuscripts preserved in the National Library of Madrid stand as prime examples of the fascination that the dignitaries of the Kingdom of Sicily had for Byzantine esthetics. Among these manuscripts, the Sacramentary of Messina (Madrid, BNE Ms. 52) is perhaps the most striking. This Latin sacramentary, comprising 303 folios, features illuminated initials, a calendar with depictions of classical topics, such as the Spinario and a compelling depiction of August inspired by the Byzantine Koimesis, the months and zodiac, and two full-page illustrations depicting the Virgin Glykophilousa, the Crucifixion, and the Deesis. This study has a dual focus. First, it aims to analyze the iconographic peculiarities of the monthly images in this Latin calendar. Second, it seeks to provide new insights into the manuscript’s patronage and its place of origin. In this context, one of the most striking and significant aspects of the sacramentary’s iconography is the prominent role of the Virgin, a theme that will also be examined in this study. Archbishop Richard Palmer emerges as the leading candidate to have been the driving force in the patronage of the manuscript to the Royal scriptoria of Palermo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Byzantium and the Mediterranean (11th–13th C.): Multiculturalism, Gender and Profane Topics in Illuminated Manuscripts)

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