Missal, for Franciscan Use, in Latin, richly illuminated manuscript on vellum [Northern France (Paris or perhaps Rouen), c.1510-20]

(1) Most probably written and illuminated in Paris c.1510-20, for the clean-shaven and tonsured ecclesiastic with a rotund chin who reads from an open choirbook in the miniature on fol.75r. His erased episcopal arms (once quartered, apparently a lion rampant gules on or, and cross gules on azure; perhaps those of the Ranné family) appear in the bas-de-page of fols.7r, 86r, 88v, 90r, 106r, 109r, 141v, 142v, 146r, 152v, 170r, 243r, 326v, 388v, 429v and accompany each of the large miniatures. He had evidently been a Franciscan friar before taking up episcopal office: the Use is Franciscan, and the Calendar includes SS. Francis (4 October, “fundatoris ordinis minorum”, his translation 25 May and stigmatization 17 September) and Bernard of Siena (24 May) in red.

(2) Rene Lemperens: his seventeenth-century ex libris at each end of the volume.

(3) Thomas Philip (1781-1859), 2nd Earl de Grey: his armorial bookplate of Wrest Park. The estate and its library passed to the Barony of Lucas of Crudwell, and was dispersed in our rooms in a series of sales: 29 April 1918, 25 October 1920, 21 June 1922, 20 May 1926, 7 March 1932, 30 October 1950 and 18 October 1954 (none including the present volume), as well as through a number of private sales.

(4) Acquired by the father of the present owner from Quaritch in 1968.

The volume comprises: a Calendar (fol.1r); prayers (fol.7r); masses for the entire year according to the Roman Rite (fol.7v), with a Litany (fol.208r); readings from Proverbs, the book of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Job, Tobit, Judith, Esther, Maccabees, Ezekiel, Daniel and Minor Prophets (fol.362r); the Common of the Saints (fol.383r); an Office for the Virgin (fol.423v); and the Office of the Dead (432v).

illumination

This is a grand book, among the finer of the productions of Paris in the early sixteenth century, doubtless produced for a wealthy and influential ecclesiastic patron. The name of the artist Jean Pichore has been invoked to cover a group of artists of varying quality, but the delicate handling of the best compositions here and the deep emotion conveyed in the facial expressions must set them within the oeuvre of the master himself. He was one of the most sought-after manuscript illuminators in Paris in the second and third decades of the sixteenth century. He is recorded there between 1502 and 1521, executing compositions for great patrons attracted to the city by the recently returned royal court (cf. the Augustine, De civitate Dei, now BnF. Lat. ms.2070, illuminated in 1501-03 for Cardinal d’Ambroise) as well as members of the court itself (cf. the Chants royaux, now BnF., Fr. ms.145, illuminated in 1517 for Louise de Savoie; reproduced Avril and Reynaud, Les Manuscrits à Peintures en France, 1993, no.156, pp.282-4). A few of the larger miniatures, such as the figures of King David in the first five miniatures, the Resurrection of Christ on fol.268v, and All Saints on fol.382v, are paintings of the greatest refinement and display the artist’s characteristic eye for tiny detail in facial modelling and richly decorated interiors (cf. L’Art du manuscrit de la Renaissance en France, 2001, nos.3-4, pp.16-21).

The larger illuminations comprise:

(1) fol.9r, King David seated with his harp in an opulent Renaissance interior as God appears through the window; full border with three banderoles, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

(2) fol.31r, King David kneeling in a courtyard, pointing to his eyes as God appears to him; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of arms, a bird and a drollery creature.

(3) fol.41r, King David, kneeling before a castle, pointing to his mouth as God appears; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms, a green dragonfly and a drollery creature.

(4) fol.48v, King David seated as a jester performs for him; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

(5) fol.56r, King David seated on a white horse, his hands raised as God appears; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

(6) fol.66v, King David harping with other musicians playing a flute and stringed instruments; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

(7) fol.75r, a tonsured bishop in blue and gold robes, reading from a choirbook on a large circular bookstand; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms, a bird and a drollery creature.

(8) fol.92r, the Deposition from the Cross; full border with two banderoles, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

(9) fol.110r, the figure of Ecclesia in white robes, beneath God the Father, surrounded by symbols of the Church and banderoles; full border with two banderoles, an erased coat-of-arms, a bird and a drollery creature.

(10) fol.268v, the Resurrection, within a rocky landscape, as Christ steps from a golden sarcophagus; full border with three banderoles, an erased coat-of-arms, a bird and a drollery creature.

(11) fol.297v, the Ascension, with a crowd of saints in prayer as Christ rises into the heavens (here visible only as a pair of feet); full border with three banderoles, an erased coat-of-arms, a butterfly, a snail, a bird and a drollery creature.

(12) fol.311v, Pentecost, with the Virgin seated with followers in a gothic interior as the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove; full border with medieval jewels, angular Renaissance mouldings with human- and bird-faces, and a grey bird with a large red heart above a stern grey human face within foliage in the bas-de-page.

(13) fol.320r, God the Father with a long beard, seated with Christ as the Holy Spirit descends; full border as before with an erased coat-of-arms in the bas-de-page.

(14) fol.382v, All Saints within an ornamental gold architectural frame with lion’s heads and putti; facing a page with full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms, a butterfly, two birds and a drollery creature.

(15) fol. 423v, the Pietà, before a medieval town; full border with a banderole, an erased coat-of-arms and a drollery creature.

The smaller ones (all with full borders as above) comprise: (a) fol.86r, Christ tortured; (b) fol.88v, Christ carrying the Cross; (c) fol.90r, the Crucifixion; (d) fol.106r, Christ being laid in his tomb; (e) fol.109r, St. Veronica holding her veil; (f) fol.141v, the Annunciation to the shepherds; (g) fol.142v, St. Stephen being lapidated; (h) fol.146r, a female saint with a chalice; (i) fol.152v, St. Thomas the Apostle; (j) fol.170r, the Nativity; (k) fol.243r, Christ in the temple; (l) fol.326v, two angels supporting a chalice and the host (the form of Christ subtly picked out in white on the host); (m) fol.388v, St. Lawrence with his griddle; and (n) fol.429v, Job in his dungheap.