The Annunciation to the Shepherds, large miniature of a leaf from an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours on vellum

Estimate

1,200 - 1,800 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

a single leaf, 139mm. by 92mm., miniature in a gently arched compartment 84mm. by 55mm. showing two three-quarter-length shepherds leaning on their staves as they stand among their sheep in a night-time pastoral landscape, a gold angel appearing in a blue arc in the sky radiating light which catches the clothes of the shepherds themselves, above a large initial and 7 lines of text in a small lettre bâtarde (opening of Terce), full border on a parti-coloured ground of liquid gold and brown with coloured flowers and acanthus leaves and three birds, verso with 30 lines of text, written-space 94mm. by 56mm., rubrics in blue, illuminated initials and line-fillers, panel border, very slight wear, cut to extreme edge of the illuminated border

Catalogue Note

An elegant night scene, lit by the light radiating from the angel, in the style which originated with Jean Bourdichon in Tours and worked its way up, through Rouen, to the capital. The miniature is in the style of the illuminator known as the Master of Morgan 219 or, more recently, the Master of the Chronique Scandaleuse, who worked in Paris c.1493-c.1510, illustrating manuscripts and probably designing woodcuts for printed books. The practice of using blue for rubrics is characteristically Parisian. The Use, with the antiphon ‘Maria virgo’ at Terce, on the verso here, is that of Rome. Another leaf apparently from the same manuscript, showing the Baptism of Christ, was sold in these rooms, 12 December 1967, lot 6, afterwards Maggs, Bulletin 6 (1969), no.8, with plate.