Manicules ch1 — Max Tristan Watkins

Manicules (chapter 1)
2024 - 2025

Gouache and gold leaf on goatskin vellum; oak, book-leather, linen book-cloth, brass book corners, brass plates, picture-hanging cord, brass hardware

This series of 10 paintings made up the first chapter of my MFA Thesis exhibition held at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh; Holding Still, Holding On.

Installation view, Holding Still, Holding On, The Andy Warhol Museum (March 2025) photo credit: Andy Warhol Museum

Installation view, Holding Still, Holding On, The Andy Warhol Museum (March 2025)

“Each painting in this series has been quoted from pre-existing medieval and early-modern manuscripts. Some of the images have been cropped around particularly strange moments of violence or bodily fragmentation. Other images have had all of their figures removed completely, leaving the surreal architecture and decoration of the backgrounds. During this art historical period in Europe, there was a strong taboo against illustrating facial expressions of distress, particularly the open mouth. With no other expression at their disposal, the mannequin-like figures rely on quiet hand choreographies of despair.

The surface used for each painting is goatskin vellum, the precursor to paper in Europe. The artist has built frames for each miniature using materials and techniques influenced by bookmaking, combining these with mis-used traditional display details like picture-hanging cord and brass finishings. Each painting has its own citations on brass plates: first, the unique code for the book and page where the original image can be found; second, the archivists’ description of the original contents of the image, which the artist has used to title each painting.”

This work was supported by The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, and Carnegie Mellon’s Scholarly Project Fund.

“Athalia, Queen of Judah, Dragged from the Temple”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Samson and the Lion”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Prometheus attaches the left arm to the man he has made from earth” and “God transforms Chaos into the four elements”, Metamorphoses (ca. 1531)

“Persian Prisoners”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Jupiter in the house of Lycaon, being offered human flesh”, Metamorphoses (ca. 1531)

“Cleopatra Presented with the Head and Limbs of her Own Child”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Athalia, Queen of Judah, Dragged from the Temple”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Birth of Esau and Jacob. Rebecca resting, the two midwives holding a swaddled baby each. Gen 25.20-26.” (ca. 1300)

“Boccaccio’s Vision of the Laurel-Crowned Petrarch”, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes (ca. 1413)

“Tiger deceived by its own image in glass ball. Huntsman who has thrown ball carries off tiger cub.” (ca. 1325)

Documentation by Chris Uhren