The Tree of Jesse, ca. 1480

This image of the Tree of Jesse is taken from Cristoforo Majorana's Psalter from the end of the 15th century. Originating in a passage in the biblical Book of Isaiah, the Tree of Jesse describes metaphorically the descent of the Messiah. It was a popular subject in Christian art during the medieval period and used as a visual representation of a family tree.

Cristoforo Majorana (active ca. 1480–1494): Leaf from Psalter, ink, paint and gold on parchment, 29 cm x 15.5 cm, ca. 1480; source: The Walters Arts Museum, Accession Number W.330.14V, https://art.thewalters.org/detail/38623/leaf-from-psalter-8/, Creative Commons Zero https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/.