The Flight into Egypt and a text bifolium from an illuminated Book of Hours, Use of Rome, in Latin, on vellum [central France (Tours), c.1480-90]

3 leaves: (a) single leaf, 132mm. by 102mm., with a rectangular three-quarter page miniature of the Flight into Egypt, by the Charpentier Master showing Mary holding the swaddled baby, riding on a donkey led by Joseph, who turns to rest his hand reassuringly on the baby’s shoulder, above 6 lines of text (opening Vespers in the Hours of the Virgin), with a 4-line initial formed of gold tree branches on a blue ground decorated with a gold flower with green foliage and gold penwork, surrounded by colourful flowers on compartmented grounds enclosing a bird and a peacock, with scrolls inscribed with “Qui fecit celu(m) et terram creavit o(mn)ia simul” (Who made heaven and earth created everything at the same time) and “Time deum et vives” (fear God and live) as well as a fly, the verso with 20 lines of text, written space 122mm. by 80mm., rubrics in red, one 2-line initial in blue on a red ground with gold penwork, one-line initials in gold on red or blue grounds with gold penwork, miniature and borders slightly rubbed with pigment losses mainly to red frame (b) bifolium with the beginning of the three Psalms said on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and part of the three Psalms said on Tuesday and Friday at Nocturn, two 2-line initials in blue on red grounds with gold penwork and one in gold on a blue ground with gold penwork

The Charpentier Master, active in Tours from c.1475 to c.1490, was named after a Book of Hours (Angers, Bib.Mun., MS.2048) made for Jean Charpentier, notary and secretary to King Charles VIII (1483-98). His compositions and layouts show the influence of Jean Fouquet from Tours while his style is closer to that of the Master of Adelaide of Savoy who was active in Angers and Poitiers between c.1450 and c.1470 (see Avril and Reynaud, Manuscrits à Peintures, 1993, pp.123-6). His style is both peculiar and attractive at once, marked by heavy figures, voluminous drapery and large round heads modelled by deep shadows. The present miniature is indebted to Fouquet, with the rectangular field being extended to the top. The Charpentier Master’s usual palette of dark blue and intense gold is dominated by light pink, painted in fluid colours.