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Details
BOOK OF HOURS, use of Rouen, in Latin and French, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
Rouen, [c.1470]
188 x 135mm. 148 leaves: 112, 2-68, 74, 8-108, 113(of 4, final blank cancelled), 127(of 8, final blank cancelled), 13-148, 152, 16-208, COMPLETE, 15 lines written in black ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 16 horizontals ruled in pink, justification: 95 x 65mm, rubrics in red, text capitals touched yellow, one-line initials of burnished gold against grounds and infills of blue and magenta with white penwork decoration, line-endings of the same colors, two- and three-line initials with staves of blue with white tracery against grounds of burnished gold with trefoil sprays in the infills, FIFTEEN LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES bordered with baguettes of burnished gold patterned with blue and red flowerheads or leaves, accompanied by full-page borders with sprays of acanthus and naturalistic fruit and flowers surrounded by burnished gold disks and trefoils on hairline tendrils, some borders with flowers in golden jars or pots, others including grotesques, birds or beasts, PANEL BORDERS THROUGHOUT of the same forms (occasional smudging of ink outlining of border forms, areas of burnished gold flaked from haloes on ff.69, 79 & 87v, small pigment losses or smudging on miniatures of ff.40v, 66, 69 & 84). 16th-century dark blue velvet over wooden boards with later silver clasps and catches making the monogram MF, edges gilt and gauffered to a symmetrical foliate design (velvet worn); leather slipcase.
PROVENANCE:
1. The style of the illumination, liturgical use of the Office of the Virgin and the feasts in the Calendar, which include St. Romain in gold, point to the mansucript being made in Rouen, for use in that diocese. Although the prayers Obsecro te and O intemerata are in the masculine, the manuscript was illuminated for a woman who is represented kneeling before the Virgin and Child on folio 140.
2. The clasps, probably added in the 17th century, display the monogram 'MF '.
3. Conte Eugenio Minutoli-Tegrimi: his library stamp in black ink, 'Di casa Minutoli Tegrimi', on folios 1, 91 and 148v. The joining of the names of two leading families of Lucca was one of the conditions upon which Carlo Minutoli became heir to his brother-in-law Gregorio Tegrimi. By the 19th century Conte Eugenio had a sizeable library, the catalogue of which was published in Lucca in 1871, Catalogo dei codici manoscritti posseduti dal conte E. Minutoli Tegrimi. It was dispersed at the end of the century.
4. Purchased Dawson's bookshop, Los Angeles, 6 April 1931. De Ricci, I, p.21, no 7. -- donated to SMS 6 December 1937.
CONTENT:
Calendar ff.1-12; Gospel Extracts ff.13-19v; Obsecro te and O Intemerata ff.20-28v; Office of the Virgin, use of Rouen ff.29-83v: matins f.29, lauds f.40v, prime f.57, terce f.62v, sext f.66, none f.69, vespers f.72v, compline f.79; Hours of the Cross ff.84-87; Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.87v-90v; Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.91-108v; Office of the Dead ff.109-139v; Fifteen Joys of the Virgin ff.140-148.
ILLUMINATION:
This richly decorated Book of Hours is in the style of the illuminator often called the Master of the Geneva Latini but more appropriately known as the Master of the Rouen Échevinage from his principal works, a series of secular manuscripts painted for the library of the magistrates (échevins) of Rouen in the second half of the 15th century. The Master had an extremely productive workshop and his style quickly dominated Rouen production of illuminated manuscripts. It is a fascinating instance of an efficient medieval commercial enterprise. Many Book of Hours were produced, of varying degrees of richness in content and finish -- this manuscript is one of the more lavish products: it has a full cycle of miniatures, panel borders throughout and an extensive use of burnished gold that scintillates with the turning of each page. To facilitate effective production the workshop drew upon established patterns and designs for compositions, figure poses, and architectural and decorative features. The present manuscript displays just such re-use -- the Annunciation miniature is only one of several that are clearly based on frequently used models, and the composition reappears, for example, in an Hours from the Library of William Foyle (sold Christie's London, 11 July 2000, lot 47).
Whether or not the basis of a scene is replicated, in the more de-luxe Hours such as this one there is an attention and finesse of execution that is far removed from the more routine works associated with the illuminator's name. Borders and miniatures are highly detailed and rich in incident: textiles are patterned and gilt, architecture is elaborately articulated, and birds and beasts frolic in borders. The narrative content is often expanded with ancillary figures or events being placed in the backgrounds -- in the case of the Annuciation to the shepherds, a shepherdess tending a lamb has strayed into the border. The richness of content and finish combines with the charming immediacy of the style to demonstrate the allure that caused the widespread demand for the work of the Master and his followers.
The subject of the miniatures are as follows:
f.13 quadripartite miniature of the Evangelists
f.20 Pietà
f.29 Annunciation
f.40v Visitation
f.57 Nativity with the Virgin and Joseph and an angel in adoration of the Christ Child
f.62v Annunciation to the Shepherds
f.66 Adoration of the Magi
f.69 Presentation in the Temple
f.72v Flight into Egypt
f.79 Coronation of the Virgin
f.84 Crucifixion
f.87v Pentecost
f.91 David in Penitence, with David slaying Goliath in background
f.109 Burial Service
f.140 Female owner kneeling before Virgin and Child enthroned, with hovering angels holding the Virgin's crown and harping angel below
Rouen, [c.1470]
188 x 135mm. 148 leaves: 112, 2-68, 74, 8-108, 113(of 4, final blank cancelled), 127(of 8, final blank cancelled), 13-148, 152, 16-208, COMPLETE, 15 lines written in black ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 16 horizontals ruled in pink, justification: 95 x 65mm, rubrics in red, text capitals touched yellow, one-line initials of burnished gold against grounds and infills of blue and magenta with white penwork decoration, line-endings of the same colors, two- and three-line initials with staves of blue with white tracery against grounds of burnished gold with trefoil sprays in the infills, FIFTEEN LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES bordered with baguettes of burnished gold patterned with blue and red flowerheads or leaves, accompanied by full-page borders with sprays of acanthus and naturalistic fruit and flowers surrounded by burnished gold disks and trefoils on hairline tendrils, some borders with flowers in golden jars or pots, others including grotesques, birds or beasts, PANEL BORDERS THROUGHOUT of the same forms (occasional smudging of ink outlining of border forms, areas of burnished gold flaked from haloes on ff.69, 79 & 87v, small pigment losses or smudging on miniatures of ff.40v, 66, 69 & 84). 16th-century dark blue velvet over wooden boards with later silver clasps and catches making the monogram MF, edges gilt and gauffered to a symmetrical foliate design (velvet worn); leather slipcase.
PROVENANCE:
1. The style of the illumination, liturgical use of the Office of the Virgin and the feasts in the Calendar, which include St. Romain in gold, point to the mansucript being made in Rouen, for use in that diocese. Although the prayers Obsecro te and O intemerata are in the masculine, the manuscript was illuminated for a woman who is represented kneeling before the Virgin and Child on folio 140.
2. The clasps, probably added in the 17th century, display the monogram 'MF '.
3. Conte Eugenio Minutoli-Tegrimi: his library stamp in black ink, 'Di casa Minutoli Tegrimi', on folios 1, 91 and 148v. The joining of the names of two leading families of Lucca was one of the conditions upon which Carlo Minutoli became heir to his brother-in-law Gregorio Tegrimi. By the 19th century Conte Eugenio had a sizeable library, the catalogue of which was published in Lucca in 1871, Catalogo dei codici manoscritti posseduti dal conte E. Minutoli Tegrimi. It was dispersed at the end of the century.
4. Purchased Dawson's bookshop, Los Angeles, 6 April 1931. De Ricci, I, p.21, no 7. -- donated to SMS 6 December 1937.
CONTENT:
Calendar ff.1-12; Gospel Extracts ff.13-19v; Obsecro te and O Intemerata ff.20-28v; Office of the Virgin, use of Rouen ff.29-83v: matins f.29, lauds f.40v, prime f.57, terce f.62v, sext f.66, none f.69, vespers f.72v, compline f.79; Hours of the Cross ff.84-87; Hours of the Holy Spirit ff.87v-90v; Seven Penitential Psalms and Litany ff.91-108v; Office of the Dead ff.109-139v; Fifteen Joys of the Virgin ff.140-148.
ILLUMINATION:
This richly decorated Book of Hours is in the style of the illuminator often called the Master of the Geneva Latini but more appropriately known as the Master of the Rouen Échevinage from his principal works, a series of secular manuscripts painted for the library of the magistrates (échevins) of Rouen in the second half of the 15th century. The Master had an extremely productive workshop and his style quickly dominated Rouen production of illuminated manuscripts. It is a fascinating instance of an efficient medieval commercial enterprise. Many Book of Hours were produced, of varying degrees of richness in content and finish -- this manuscript is one of the more lavish products: it has a full cycle of miniatures, panel borders throughout and an extensive use of burnished gold that scintillates with the turning of each page. To facilitate effective production the workshop drew upon established patterns and designs for compositions, figure poses, and architectural and decorative features. The present manuscript displays just such re-use -- the Annunciation miniature is only one of several that are clearly based on frequently used models, and the composition reappears, for example, in an Hours from the Library of William Foyle (sold Christie's London, 11 July 2000, lot 47).
Whether or not the basis of a scene is replicated, in the more de-luxe Hours such as this one there is an attention and finesse of execution that is far removed from the more routine works associated with the illuminator's name. Borders and miniatures are highly detailed and rich in incident: textiles are patterned and gilt, architecture is elaborately articulated, and birds and beasts frolic in borders. The narrative content is often expanded with ancillary figures or events being placed in the backgrounds -- in the case of the Annuciation to the shepherds, a shepherdess tending a lamb has strayed into the border. The richness of content and finish combines with the charming immediacy of the style to demonstrate the allure that caused the widespread demand for the work of the Master and his followers.
The subject of the miniatures are as follows:
f.13 quadripartite miniature of the Evangelists
f.20 Pietà
f.29 Annunciation
f.40v Visitation
f.57 Nativity with the Virgin and Joseph and an angel in adoration of the Christ Child
f.62v Annunciation to the Shepherds
f.66 Adoration of the Magi
f.69 Presentation in the Temple
f.72v Flight into Egypt
f.79 Coronation of the Virgin
f.84 Crucifixion
f.87v Pentecost
f.91 David in Penitence, with David slaying Goliath in background
f.109 Burial Service
f.140 Female owner kneeling before Virgin and Child enthroned, with hovering angels holding the Virgin's crown and harping angel below