Leaf from a Cocharelli Treatise on the Vices: Acedia and Her Court

c. 1330

Leaf from a Cocharelli Treatise on the Vices: Acedia and Her Court, c. 1330. Italy, Genoa. Ink, tempera, and gold on vellum; sheet: 16.3 x 10.3 cm (6 7/16 x 4 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1953.152 This leaf comes from a treatise written before 1324 by a member of the Genoese Cocharelli family as a moral lesson for the following generation. The family’s dedication to education is seen in the use of Latin and the theme of the seven capital vices. We see Queen Accidia (or Sloth) lying in bed, bored despite all the distractions around her. The depiction of the precious fabrics shows an intimate knowledge of textiles from the Islamic world and is a testament to the flourishing trade contacts of Genoa. This miniature is noteworthy for its depiction of richly adorned textiles and jeweled headdresses imitative of the Islamic world.