Lot Essay
PROVENANCE: THE CALENDAR CONTAINS A NUMBER OF SAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH FLANDERS, GERTRUD (17 MARCH), MEDARD (8 JUNE), GUDULA (6 JULY) AND LAMBERT (17 SEPTEMBER). INSCRIBED ON FRONT FLY-LEAF 'DEDIT SERENISSIMA REGINA, 1578 1.AUGUSTI', PROBABLY STATING THIS TO BE A GIFT FROM CATHERINE DE MEDICIS, WIFE OF HENRI II AND QUEEN OF FRANCE OR FROM LOUISE DE VAUDEMENT, WIFE OF HENRY III.
TEXT: CALENDAR (F.1-12); HOURS OF THE CROSS (F.14); HOURS OF THE HOLY GHOST (F.23); GOSPEL SEQUENCES (F.34); OBSECRO TE (F.44) FOR A MALE SUPPLICANT; O INTEMERATA (F.50); MASS OF THE VIRGIN (F.55); PRAYERS, INCLUDING TO ST. MARGARET, SEBASTIAN, DOMINIC, ETC. (F.64); SEVEN VERSES OF ST. BERNARD (F.67V); SUFFRAGES TO ST. CATHERINE, NICOLAS, PETER AND PAUL (F.70); HOURS OF THE VIRGIN, MATINS (F.74), LAUDS (F.92), PRIME (F.113), TERCE (F.119), SEXT (F.125), NONE (F.130), VESPERS (F.135), COMPLINE (F.143); HOURS OF THE HOLY GHOST (F.151); PENITENTIAL PSALMS (F.154); OFFICE OF THE DEAD (F.183).
DECORATION: This is an attractive book illustrated in the style of the anonymous artist named 'the Prayerbook Master' by Winkler, and described by Dogaer as 'the Master of the Bruges Books of Hours'. He was active in Bruges around 1500 and specialized in the decoration of liturgical works. The borders surrounding the miniatures, with their extensive use of grisaille decoration, are unusual and attractive particularly those depicting figurs of warrior centaurs.
The inserted single miniature of the Annunciation (before f.74) is lacking.
THE SUBJECTS OF THE MINIATURES, MOST WITHIN GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK BORDERS, ARE:
F.13 CRUCIFIXION, FULL-PAGE ON AN INSERTED SINGLE LEAF, WITH A BORDER OF GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK, FLOWERS AND BIRDS, SIMILAR BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.23 PENTECOST
F.34 ST. JOHN ON PATMOST
F.36 ST. LUKE
F.39 ST. MARK WITH LARGE LION
F.42 ST. MATTHEW WITH ANGEL
F.44 PIETA
F.50 VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED WITHIN MANDORLA, BORDER OF NATURALISTIC FLOWERS AND FRUIT
F.55 VIRGIN ENTHRONED WITH TWO ANGELS, BORDER OF GRISAILLE AND RED BESANTS
F.67V SAINTLY MONK IN BLACK HABIT KNEELING AT A LECTERN BEFORE AN ALTAR
F.92 VISITATION
F.113 NATIVITY, BORDER CONTAINS FOUR GRISAILLE CENTAUR WARRIORS AND
NYMPH
F.119 ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS
F.125 ADORATION OF THE MAGI
F.130 PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
F.135 FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
F.143 MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS, WITH SIMILAR GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK
BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.151 PENTECOST
F.153V LAST JUDGMENT, FULL PAGE, CHRIST ON A RAINBOW WITHIN A MANDORLA, SOULS BELOW; SIMILAR GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.182 RAISING OF LAZARUS, FULL PAGE, DARK GRISAILLE BORDER CONTAINING FIGURES OF WARRIOR CENTAURS, A SKULL, BIRDS, AN APE STRUCK BY AN ARROW FROM A LONGBOW; CONTINUED ON FACING PAGE.
TEXT: CALENDAR (F.1-12); HOURS OF THE CROSS (F.14); HOURS OF THE HOLY GHOST (F.23); GOSPEL SEQUENCES (F.34); OBSECRO TE (F.44) FOR A MALE SUPPLICANT; O INTEMERATA (F.50); MASS OF THE VIRGIN (F.55); PRAYERS, INCLUDING TO ST. MARGARET, SEBASTIAN, DOMINIC, ETC. (F.64); SEVEN VERSES OF ST. BERNARD (F.67V); SUFFRAGES TO ST. CATHERINE, NICOLAS, PETER AND PAUL (F.70); HOURS OF THE VIRGIN, MATINS (F.74), LAUDS (F.92), PRIME (F.113), TERCE (F.119), SEXT (F.125), NONE (F.130), VESPERS (F.135), COMPLINE (F.143); HOURS OF THE HOLY GHOST (F.151); PENITENTIAL PSALMS (F.154); OFFICE OF THE DEAD (F.183).
DECORATION: This is an attractive book illustrated in the style of the anonymous artist named 'the Prayerbook Master' by Winkler, and described by Dogaer as 'the Master of the Bruges Books of Hours'. He was active in Bruges around 1500 and specialized in the decoration of liturgical works. The borders surrounding the miniatures, with their extensive use of grisaille decoration, are unusual and attractive particularly those depicting figurs of warrior centaurs.
The inserted single miniature of the Annunciation (before f.74) is lacking.
THE SUBJECTS OF THE MINIATURES, MOST WITHIN GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK BORDERS, ARE:
F.13 CRUCIFIXION, FULL-PAGE ON AN INSERTED SINGLE LEAF, WITH A BORDER OF GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK, FLOWERS AND BIRDS, SIMILAR BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.23 PENTECOST
F.34 ST. JOHN ON PATMOST
F.36 ST. LUKE
F.39 ST. MARK WITH LARGE LION
F.42 ST. MATTHEW WITH ANGEL
F.44 PIETA
F.50 VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED WITHIN MANDORLA, BORDER OF NATURALISTIC FLOWERS AND FRUIT
F.55 VIRGIN ENTHRONED WITH TWO ANGELS, BORDER OF GRISAILLE AND RED BESANTS
F.67V SAINTLY MONK IN BLACK HABIT KNEELING AT A LECTERN BEFORE AN ALTAR
F.92 VISITATION
F.113 NATIVITY, BORDER CONTAINS FOUR GRISAILLE CENTAUR WARRIORS AND
NYMPH
F.119 ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS
F.125 ADORATION OF THE MAGI
F.130 PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
F.135 FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
F.143 MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS, WITH SIMILAR GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK
BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.151 PENTECOST
F.153V LAST JUDGMENT, FULL PAGE, CHRIST ON A RAINBOW WITHIN A MANDORLA, SOULS BELOW; SIMILAR GRISAILLE BRANCHWORK BORDER ON FACING PAGE
F.182 RAISING OF LAZARUS, FULL PAGE, DARK GRISAILLE BORDER CONTAINING FIGURES OF WARRIOR CENTAURS, A SKULL, BIRDS, AN APE STRUCK BY AN ARROW FROM A LONGBOW; CONTINUED ON FACING PAGE.