The Nativity, a miniature on a leaf from an illuminated Book of Hours, with the facing decorated text leaf, in Latin, on vellum [Bruges, c.1460]

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum

two leaves, each 110mm. by 80mm., (i) with a tall and thin full-page miniature (73mm. by 40mm.) with the Virgin and Joseph kneeling either side of the Christ Child, both in grisaille robes touched in gold, similar grey trees in background, with full border of densely packed semi-grisaille acanthus-leaf sprays and more naturalistic coloured foliage terminating in tiny gold bezants, enclosing a rotund bird, blank on verso; (ii) similar border on facing page, around 5-line initial in black heightened with white penwork hatching and enclosing foliate swirl in same on burnished gold ground, two 2-line initials in gold on blue and pink grounds, 7 one-line initials in blue or gold with contrasting penwork, 16 lines in a fine gothic bookhand, occasional tiny spots, trimmed at edges with slight damage to borders, else excellent condition, card mount

Provenance

Acquired by the present owner from Christie's, 4 June 2003, lot 9.

Catalogue Note

This tiny and delicate miniature is characteristic of the style of the Mildmay Master, so-called after a Book of Hours once owned by the Mildmay family and now in the Newberry Library, Chicago (MS 35). He was also responsible for a Breviary-Prayerbook made for Adolph of Cleves and la Marck (Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, MS ii 5646). He was a close associate of Willem Vrelant, one of the most influential illuminators in Bruges in the third quarter of the 15th century, and collaborated with him on commissions for the Duke of Burgundy and members of his court: B. Bousmanne, 'Item a Guillaume Wyelant aussi enlumineur', 1997, pp.236-237. Silver was notoriously difficult to conquer in the book arts, and was perfected in the late Middle Ages perhaps only in Bruges, as a novel device to bring even greater opulence to the ducal library. The use of grisaille here in both the miniature and the borders reflects the height of fashion in the Burgundian court.