God in Majesty from BL YT 11, f. 1v

Miniature divided into two registers, representing the ideal state of the 'Sainte-Abbaye.' The upper register represents the celestial church, and the lower an earthly nunnery; God is at the centre, surrounded by angels, Evangelists' symbols, the Virgin and St Peter; and in the lower register, a Cistercian Abbess, nuns and novices. Image taken from f. 1v of 'La Sainte Abbaye' (ff. 2-7); a treatise on love (ff. 7-28); Livres de l'estat de l'ame (ff. 28v-51v); Tractatus de tribulatione (ff. 53-82). Written in French, with Latin inscriptions in miniatures.

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.