The Torments of Hell from BL YT 31, f. 171v

Miniature of three sinners standing in a hell-mouth, being tormented by devils who have chained their necks together; miniature of three sinners standing in a hell-mouth, gnawing their hands in hunger as they are tormented by devils with insatiable hunger and thirst, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 171v of Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version). Written in Spanish (Catalan), with some Hebrew (ff. 131-134).

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.