A Sienese Codex of the Divine Comedy.dJohn Wyndham Pope-Hennessy

This volume, published in 1947, serves as a scholarly examination of a specific 14th-century illuminated manuscript of Dante Alighieri's 'Divine Comedy' held in the Biblioteca Comunale di Siena. Sir John Wyndham Pope-Hennessy, a distinguished art historian and former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, produced this work to bridge the gap between literary studies and Sienese art history. By focusing on the unique iconography of the Sienese school, he sought to document how provincial Italian artists interpreted Dante's cosmology during the Trecento, a period often overshadowed by the Florentine tradition.

The design of the volume reflects the rigorous academic standards of the mid-20th century, favoring clear, plate-heavy layouts that prioritize the visual integrity of the miniatures over ornate typography. Pope-Hennessy’s commentary was well-regarded upon its release for its precise attribution of the illustrations and his refined analysis of how the visual narrative of the manuscript complements the theological structure of the poem. The book remains a foundational reference for those studying the intersection of medieval Italian manuscript culture and late Gothic painting.