Book of Hours, fragment of the Hours of the Virgin, Use of Rome, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum [northern France (Paris), c.1490-1510]

Estimate

6,000 - 8,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

Vellum

35 leaves (plus one marbled endleaf at front and back), 144mm. by 96mm., substantial fragment of the Hours of the Virgin, with Psalms for the various days of the week (fol.23v) and for Advent (fol.30r), wanting many leaves, collation: i⁶, ii² (ii-iv wanting, including the beginning of Lauds), iii⁴ (v and vi wanting, including the beginning of Prime), iv² (i, ii, v-vi wanting, including the beginning of Terce), wanting one quire including Sext and None, v³ (i-iii wanting, including the beginning of Vespers), vi⁶ (iv and v wanting, including the beginning of Compline), vii⁷ (iii wanting, including the beginning of the Psalms for the various days of the week), viii⁵, 19 lines in brown ink in a rounded gothic bookhand showing influence of humanistic script (written space: 84mm. by 50mm.), rubrics in blue, one-line initials and line-fillers in liquid gold on red, blue or brown grounds, 2- to 3-line initials formed of light pink or gold acanthus on gold, red or blue grounds, decorated with naturalistic flies and butterflies or acanthus, flowers and bezants, one three-quarter page miniature by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse (fol.1r) above three lines of text with a full border formed of coloured acanthus, flowers and strawberries on dull-gold ground, enclosing a bird attacking a fly and a monkey seated on a snarling four-legged animal, beating its bottom with a club, all text pages with 2- and 3-line initials decorated with border panels with coloured acanthus, flowers and strawberries on compartmented grounds enclosing birds, butterflies and a dragon (fol.34r), miniature with small pigment losses, the blue dress of the Virgin partly retouched, the surrounding border slightly rubbed, border on fol.6v smudged, else in good condition, nineteenth-century brown leather binding with two silver clasps

Provenance

Acquired by the present owner in a Miette (later Moorthammers) auction in Brussels, 20 March 1965.

Catalogue Note

illumination

The miniature with the Annunciation to the Virgin is the work of the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse who flourished in Paris between 1490 and 1510, and worked for many high-ranking noble patrons, including the royal court. His style is easily recognisable by his figures with half-closed eyelids and conspicuously red lips. His excellent sense of modelling is apparent here in the softly shaded faces of the Virgin and the Angel. Characteristic for him is his subtle use of colour.