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Details
BOOK OF HOURS, unidentified use, in Latin, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[southern Netherlands, 1480s]172 x 124mm. 136 + ii leaves: 112, 2-48, 59(of 8 + iv), 6-78, 87(of 8, lacking iii), 9-108, 119(of 8 + ix), 1210(of 12 lacking viii and ix), 13-168, some signatures, written in black ink in a gothic bookhand in 14 lines between two verticals and 15 horizontals ruled in brown, justification: 88 x 65mm, prickings for horizontals and lower prickings for verticals on several leaves, rubrics in red, text capitals touched yellow, one-and two-line initials and line-endings in burnished gold on grounds of pink and blue patterned with white, eleven large initials in pink or blue on grounds of burnished gold with foliate infills, TWENTY-ONE LARGE MINIATURES WITH FULL BORDERS of blue and gold acanthus and flower and fruit sprays interspersed with burnished gold disks, some with additional figures, birds or beasts, ONE FULL-PAGE MINIATURE WITH FULL BORDER FACING A RECTO WITH LARGE INITIAL AND FULL BORDER (lacking three leaves, one, and perhaps two, with miniature, light red frames added round borders and on f.1, outline for added frame f.2, slight wear to miniature f.13). 18th-century red morocco gilt (extremities rubbed).
PROVENANCE:
The use of the Office of the Virgin is unidentified and apparently unique, showing some similarity with uses found in Brittany and Anjou; the presence of the three Maries in the Litany was a devotion fostered by the Carmelites, which before the last quarter of the 15th century was little adopted outside Brittany. The Office of the Dead, however, is for the use of Cambrai and the Calendar indicates the southern part of that diocese, Picardy and the Somme region. The saints in the Calendar include in red Medard (8 June), especially revered in Noyon and Beauvais, Eligius, bishop of Noyon (1 Dec.), widely venerated but also honoured here by his translation (25 June), and Nicaise, archbishop of Rheims (14 Dec.), and, in black, the feast and translation of St Fursey, the founder of monasteries at Lagny and Péronne (16 Jan. and 6 Feb.), St Aldegunde foundress of Maubeuge (30 Jan), St Amand, with St Vedast, (6 Feb.) and his translation at St-Amand-les-Eaux (26 Oct), St Gertrude of Nivelles (17 March), St Benedicta of Soissons (8 Oct.) and St Valery (1 April) and St Quentin (2 May and 31 Oct.), whose cults also centred on the Somme towns named for them. Possibly a patron from further south, from western France or Brittany, had the book written in Picardy from model texts already in his possession. It was possibly sent to be illuminated in Bruges or another Flemish centre. In style, iconography and method of production, with one full-page miniature on an inserted single leaf, the book is linked to Netherlandish traditions: the area was part of the Netherlandish territories of the dukes of Burgundy, until the Somme towns were effectively regained by France in the 1470s; Louis XI extended French power further northwards after the death of duke Charles the Bold in 1477.
CONTENT:
Calendar, ff.1-12v; Gospel extracts ff.13-19: St John f.13, St Luke f.14v, St Matthew f.16v, St Mark f.18; Hours of the Cross interspersed with the Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.21-28; Office of the Virgin, unidentified use, ff.29-74v: matins f.29, lauds f.41, prime f.51, terce f.57, sext f.61, none, lacking opening f.64, vespers f.67, compline f.70; Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.77-94; Office of the Dead, use of Cambrai, lacking two leaves after f.100 with the end of vespers and the opening of matins ff.94v-127v; memorials ff.128-135: Sts Sebastian f.128, Christopher f.129v, Catherine f.130v, Barbara f.131v, Anthony f.132v, Stephen f.133v, Eligius f.134v.
ILLUMINATION:
The lively miniatures, with their many appealing landscape settings, reveal the influence of the mature style of Loyset Liédet, who had settled in Bruges by 1469 and died there in, or soon after, 1478. The use of dark lines to define facial features and contours is typical of the effectively economic style evolved by Liédet and his assistants for the illustration of the huge secular volumes commissioned by the dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. Books written elsewhere might well be sent to be illuminated in Bruges, a long established centre of manuscript production,
The miniatures are apparently by more than one hand working in a similar style. The definition of the figures and interior settings is contrasted with the more painterly execution of the landscapes, favoured as settings even when not required by the subject. The use of large buildings to establish deep recession is more characteristic of Ghent illuminators influenced by the Master of Mary of Burgundy but the border decoration makes Bruges more likely as the place of illumination. Liédet specialised in secular books, many of which were deesigned without borders, and the borders in the present lot follow the conventions established by Willem Vrelant, whose Bruges workshop produced numerous book of hours between about 1454 and 1481.
The subject of the full-page miniature is the Visitation, f.40v.
The subjects of the large miniatures are as follows:
f.13 St John on Patmos; f.14v St Luke seated at his easel painting a panel of the Virgin and Child; f.16 St Matthew; f.18 St Mark; f.21 the Crucifixion; f.22v Pentecost, with two monkeys playing an organ in the border; f.29 the Annunciation, with two monkeys mounted on bears jousting in the border; f.51 the Nativity; f.57 the Annunciation to the Shepherds; f.61 the Adoration of the Magi; f.67 the Massacre of the Innocents before King Herod; f.70 the Flight into Egypt; f.77 King David at prayer, in the border decapitating Goliath; f.94v the Raising of Lazarus; f.128 St Sebastian shot with arrows; f.129v St Christopher carrying the Christ Child over the river; f.130v St Catherine seated on a large bench in a courtyard; f.131v St Barbara in a landscape a courtyard and at the window of her tower; f.132v St Anthony Abbot standing in his fire with his pig; f.133v St Stephen; f.134v St Giles with his hind, prefacing a prayer to St Eligius
[southern Netherlands, 1480s]172 x 124mm. 136 + ii leaves: 1
PROVENANCE:
The use of the Office of the Virgin is unidentified and apparently unique, showing some similarity with uses found in Brittany and Anjou; the presence of the three Maries in the Litany was a devotion fostered by the Carmelites, which before the last quarter of the 15th century was little adopted outside Brittany. The Office of the Dead, however, is for the use of Cambrai and the Calendar indicates the southern part of that diocese, Picardy and the Somme region. The saints in the Calendar include in red Medard (8 June), especially revered in Noyon and Beauvais, Eligius, bishop of Noyon (1 Dec.), widely venerated but also honoured here by his translation (25 June), and Nicaise, archbishop of Rheims (14 Dec.), and, in black, the feast and translation of St Fursey, the founder of monasteries at Lagny and Péronne (16 Jan. and 6 Feb.), St Aldegunde foundress of Maubeuge (30 Jan), St Amand, with St Vedast, (6 Feb.) and his translation at St-Amand-les-Eaux (26 Oct), St Gertrude of Nivelles (17 March), St Benedicta of Soissons (8 Oct.) and St Valery (1 April) and St Quentin (2 May and 31 Oct.), whose cults also centred on the Somme towns named for them. Possibly a patron from further south, from western France or Brittany, had the book written in Picardy from model texts already in his possession. It was possibly sent to be illuminated in Bruges or another Flemish centre. In style, iconography and method of production, with one full-page miniature on an inserted single leaf, the book is linked to Netherlandish traditions: the area was part of the Netherlandish territories of the dukes of Burgundy, until the Somme towns were effectively regained by France in the 1470s; Louis XI extended French power further northwards after the death of duke Charles the Bold in 1477.
CONTENT:
Calendar, ff.1-12v; Gospel extracts ff.13-19: St John f.13, St Luke f.14v, St Matthew f.16v, St Mark f.18; Hours of the Cross interspersed with the Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.21-28; Office of the Virgin, unidentified use, ff.29-74v: matins f.29, lauds f.41, prime f.51, terce f.57, sext f.61, none, lacking opening f.64, vespers f.67, compline f.70; Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.77-94; Office of the Dead, use of Cambrai, lacking two leaves after f.100 with the end of vespers and the opening of matins ff.94v-127v; memorials ff.128-135: Sts Sebastian f.128, Christopher f.129v, Catherine f.130v, Barbara f.131v, Anthony f.132v, Stephen f.133v, Eligius f.134v.
ILLUMINATION:
The lively miniatures, with their many appealing landscape settings, reveal the influence of the mature style of Loyset Liédet, who had settled in Bruges by 1469 and died there in, or soon after, 1478. The use of dark lines to define facial features and contours is typical of the effectively economic style evolved by Liédet and his assistants for the illustration of the huge secular volumes commissioned by the dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. Books written elsewhere might well be sent to be illuminated in Bruges, a long established centre of manuscript production,
The miniatures are apparently by more than one hand working in a similar style. The definition of the figures and interior settings is contrasted with the more painterly execution of the landscapes, favoured as settings even when not required by the subject. The use of large buildings to establish deep recession is more characteristic of Ghent illuminators influenced by the Master of Mary of Burgundy but the border decoration makes Bruges more likely as the place of illumination. Liédet specialised in secular books, many of which were deesigned without borders, and the borders in the present lot follow the conventions established by Willem Vrelant, whose Bruges workshop produced numerous book of hours between about 1454 and 1481.
The subject of the full-page miniature is the Visitation, f.40v.
The subjects of the large miniatures are as follows:
f.13 St John on Patmos; f.14v St Luke seated at his easel painting a panel of the Virgin and Child; f.16 St Matthew; f.18 St Mark; f.21 the Crucifixion; f.22v Pentecost, with two monkeys playing an organ in the border; f.29 the Annunciation, with two monkeys mounted on bears jousting in the border; f.51 the Nativity; f.57 the Annunciation to the Shepherds; f.61 the Adoration of the Magi; f.67 the Massacre of the Innocents before King Herod; f.70 the Flight into Egypt; f.77 King David at prayer, in the border decapitating Goliath; f.94v the Raising of Lazarus; f.128 St Sebastian shot with arrows; f.129v St Christopher carrying the Christ Child over the river; f.130v St Catherine seated on a large bench in a courtyard; f.131v St Barbara in a landscape a courtyard and at the window of her tower; f.132v St Anthony Abbot standing in his fire with his pig; f.133v St Stephen; f.134v St Giles with his hind, prefacing a prayer to St Eligius
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