- 64
Book of Hours, Use of Paris, in Latin and French [France (Paris), c.1500-10]
Description
- manuscript and pigment on vellum
Catalogue Note
(1) The style of illumination, liturgical Use, and presence of St Genevieve in gold in the calendar, and a suffrage to her with a miniature, indicate that the book was produced in Paris. (2) Blue hexagonal ink-stamp surmounted by a coronet, erased (f.1r). (3) The Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam: for details, see the previous lot.
TEXT AND ILLUMINATION
Calendar in French, with an entry for every day and one month per page, in two columns (f.2r); Gospel extracts (f.8r); prayers Obsecro te (f.12v) and I [sic] intemerata (f.15r), both using masculine forms; Hours of the Virgin, Use of Paris, with Matins (f.17r), Lauds (f.33r), Prime (f.42r), Terce (f.47r), Sext (f.51r), None (f.54r), Vespers (f.57r), Compline (f.62r); Hours of the Spirit (f.68r); Penitential Psalms (f.71r), litany (f.79v); Office of the Dead (f.85r); the Quinze joies (f.118r) and Sept requêtes (f.122r) both in French; suffrages (f.125r).
This manuscript was illuminated by different hands working in a homogenous style popular in Paris in the early 16th century. Most remarkable is the addition of two full-page miniatures, namely Adam and Eve facing January in the Calendar, and Christ Carrying the Cross opposite Job on the Dungheap.
The subjects of the full-page miniatures are: (1) f.1v, Adam and Eve tempted by the Serpent; (2) f.84v, Christ Carrying the Cross. The subjects of the large miniatures are: (1) f.8r, John on Patmos; (2) f.17r, Annunciation; (3) f.33r, Visitation; (4) f.42r, Nativity (5) f.47r, Annunciation to the Shepherds; (6) f.51r, Adoration of the Magi; (7) f.54r, Presentation in the Temple; (8) f.57r, Flight into Egypt; (9) f.62r, Coronation of the Virgin; (10) f.68r, Pentecost; (11) f.71r, David spying on Bethsheba; (12) f.85r, Job on the dungheap; (13) f.118r, Virgin and Child enthroned; (14) f.122r, Gnadenstuhl Trinity. The subjects of the small miniatures are: (1-24) ff.2r-7v, 12 zodiac symbols and 12 occupations of the months; (25) f.9r, Luke; (26) f.10v, Matthew; (27) f.11v, Mark; (28) f.12v, Virgin and Child; (29) f.15r, Virgin and Child; (30) f.125r, Trinity enthroned; (31) f.125v, Michael; (32) f.126r, John the Baptist; (33) f.126v, Peter & Paul; (34) f.127r, Sebastian; (35) f.127v, Nicholas (36) f.128r, Anthony Abbot (f.128r); (37) f.128v, Anne teaching the Virgin to read; (38) f.129r, Mary Magdalene; (39) f.129v, Katherine; (40) f.130r, Margaret; (41) f.130v, Genevieve.