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Details
BOOK OF HOURS, use of Rome, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum
[Paris c.1500]142 x 93mm. i + 118 + i leaves: 112, then originally largely in quaternions now rearranged and lacking leaves, catchwords in lower margins of final versos, written in brown ink in a gothic bookhand in 19 lines between two verticals and 20 horizontals ruled in pink, justification: 85 x 49mm, rubrics in blue, one-line initials in liquid gold on grounds of blue, pink or maroon, two-line initials in liquid gold on grounds of blue patterned with white foliage or in white and purple on grounds of pink with infills of foliage, flowers or insects on liquid gold, each two-line initial accompanied by a side border to the outer margin of acanthus and flower sprays, some on grounds of lquid gold or colours, often divided and animated by animals, birds and grotesques, TWELVE SMALL MINIATURES WITH BORDERS to three or four sides of similar type, SEVEN LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURES OVER THREE-LINE INITIALS SURROUNDED BY FULL BORDERS (lacking leaves, including at least eight with miniatures, holes from erasure lower margin f.12, slight wear to a few borders). Modern crimson velvet over pasteboard (leaves misbound, upper joint detached).
PROVENANCE:
From the style of the illumination, the book was produced in Paris. The use is Roman but the calendar includes Parisian feasts like that of St Genevieve in gold on 3 January; Genevieve is also invoked in the litany. The prayers to the Virgin are in the masculine and a man dressed in black kneels before St Christopher in the miniature on f.113. A coat of arms was added to the lower margin of f.31v by the first, or an early, owner: gules, five lozenges in fess argent dimidiated by argent, a lion gules crowned, langued and armed or.
CONTENT:
Calendar ff.1-12; Gospel extracts ff.13-17v; John f.13, Luke, with an incorrect rubric as Matthew, f.14v, Matthew f.15v, Mark, lacking end, f.17; Obsecro te, lacking opening, ff.18-20v; O intemerata ff.20v-22; Passion according to John, lacking opening, with prayers ff.23-30v; Salve sancta facies ff.30v-31v; Office of the Virgin, use of Rome, ff.32-54: matins, lacking opening and much else, ff.38, 49, 50; lauds, lacking middle section, ff.51, 48, 52, 47, 34; prime, lacking end, ff.34v-37v; terce, lacking opening, ff.39, 40; sext ff.40v-44; none ff.44v-46v, 53, 54; vespers, lacking end, f.54v; compline, lacking end, ff.32-33v; devotional sequence to the Virgin lacking end and possibly opening, Ave cuius conceptio, f.55; Hours of the Cross, lacking opening, ff.57-58v; Hours of the Holy Spirit, lacking opening, ff.56, 39; Penitential Psalms and litany, ff.60-75v; Office of the Dead, use of Rome, lacking opening, ff.76-111v, 118; Memorials, ff.112-117v: Sts Sebastian, lacking opening, f.112, Nicolas f.112v, Christopher f.113, Anne f.115, Barbara f.115v, Catherine f.116v, Apollonia f.117.
ILLUMINATION:
The miniatures are painted in a style related to that of Jean Pichore, documented in Paris between 1502 and 1520, but they are executed with a greater refinement on a basis of superior draughtsmanship. Their illuminator was probably also responsible for the bulk of the miniatures in a book of hours in Vienna, ÖNB cod.1927, where the same physical types are depicted with something of the same technical expertise (see O. Pächt and D. Thoss, Die illiminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Französische Schule II, 1977, pp.73-81). The Vienna Hours has been attributed to the Master of Martainville 183, named from a book of hours in the Bibliothèque municipale in Rouen, where gold is used with similar generosity to highlight draperies and architectural features. However, the Martainville Hours and other works attributed to their Master, like the books of hours in San Marino (Huntington Libaray HM 1250) and London (British Library, Harley 2936), are peopled by clumsier, more crudely modelled figures (see C. Zöhl, Jean Pichore, Buchmaler, Graphiker und Verlegerin Paris um 1500, 2004, especially pp.46-7 and Abb.44 in colour from Martainville ms 183).
In the present lot, the intricate ornament of the borders and text decoration echo the rich colours and skilful detailing of the miniatures. The borders, enhanced by inventive grotesques and drolleries, are very like those in the Vienna Hours, the manuscript which comes closest to matching the achievements here. Despite its incomplete state, this book of hours stands out in the Pichore group for its finesse and appealing imagery.
The subjects of the large miniatures are as follows:
f.32 the Coronation of the Virgin; f.33v the Nativity; f.40v the Adoration of the Magi; f.44v the Presentation in the Temple; f.51 the Visitation; f.54v the Flight into Egypt; f.60 King David enthroned playing his harp
The subjects of the small miniatures are as follows:
f.13 St John on Patmos, f.14v St Luke, f.15v St Matthew, f.17 St Mark, f.20v the Virgin enthroned with the Child, f.29v St Veronica holding her veil imprinted with Christ's face, f.112v St Nicolas with the three boys in the brine tub, f.113 St Christopher bearing the Christ Child over the river, adored by a man in black, f.115 St Anne teaching the Virgin to read, f.115v St Barbara by her tower, f.116v St Catherine and her wheel being destroyed by angels, f.117 St Apollonia having her teeth extracted.
[Paris c.1500]142 x 93mm. i + 118 + i leaves: 1
PROVENANCE:
From the style of the illumination, the book was produced in Paris. The use is Roman but the calendar includes Parisian feasts like that of St Genevieve in gold on 3 January; Genevieve is also invoked in the litany. The prayers to the Virgin are in the masculine and a man dressed in black kneels before St Christopher in the miniature on f.113. A coat of arms was added to the lower margin of f.31v by the first, or an early, owner: gules, five lozenges in fess argent dimidiated by argent, a lion gules crowned, langued and armed or.
CONTENT:
Calendar ff.1-12; Gospel extracts ff.13-17v; John f.13, Luke, with an incorrect rubric as Matthew, f.14v, Matthew f.15v, Mark, lacking end, f.17; Obsecro te, lacking opening, ff.18-20v; O intemerata ff.20v-22; Passion according to John, lacking opening, with prayers ff.23-30v; Salve sancta facies ff.30v-31v; Office of the Virgin, use of Rome, ff.32-54: matins, lacking opening and much else, ff.38, 49, 50; lauds, lacking middle section, ff.51, 48, 52, 47, 34; prime, lacking end, ff.34v-37v; terce, lacking opening, ff.39, 40; sext ff.40v-44; none ff.44v-46v, 53, 54; vespers, lacking end, f.54v; compline, lacking end, ff.32-33v; devotional sequence to the Virgin lacking end and possibly opening, Ave cuius conceptio, f.55; Hours of the Cross, lacking opening, ff.57-58v; Hours of the Holy Spirit, lacking opening, ff.56, 39; Penitential Psalms and litany, ff.60-75v; Office of the Dead, use of Rome, lacking opening, ff.76-111v, 118; Memorials, ff.112-117v: Sts Sebastian, lacking opening, f.112, Nicolas f.112v, Christopher f.113, Anne f.115, Barbara f.115v, Catherine f.116v, Apollonia f.117.
ILLUMINATION:
The miniatures are painted in a style related to that of Jean Pichore, documented in Paris between 1502 and 1520, but they are executed with a greater refinement on a basis of superior draughtsmanship. Their illuminator was probably also responsible for the bulk of the miniatures in a book of hours in Vienna, ÖNB cod.1927, where the same physical types are depicted with something of the same technical expertise (see O. Pächt and D. Thoss, Die illiminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Französische Schule II, 1977, pp.73-81). The Vienna Hours has been attributed to the Master of Martainville 183, named from a book of hours in the Bibliothèque municipale in Rouen, where gold is used with similar generosity to highlight draperies and architectural features. However, the Martainville Hours and other works attributed to their Master, like the books of hours in San Marino (Huntington Libaray HM 1250) and London (British Library, Harley 2936), are peopled by clumsier, more crudely modelled figures (see C. Zöhl, Jean Pichore, Buchmaler, Graphiker und Verlegerin Paris um 1500, 2004, especially pp.46-7 and Abb.44 in colour from Martainville ms 183).
In the present lot, the intricate ornament of the borders and text decoration echo the rich colours and skilful detailing of the miniatures. The borders, enhanced by inventive grotesques and drolleries, are very like those in the Vienna Hours, the manuscript which comes closest to matching the achievements here. Despite its incomplete state, this book of hours stands out in the Pichore group for its finesse and appealing imagery.
The subjects of the large miniatures are as follows:
f.32 the Coronation of the Virgin; f.33v the Nativity; f.40v the Adoration of the Magi; f.44v the Presentation in the Temple; f.51 the Visitation; f.54v the Flight into Egypt; f.60 King David enthroned playing his harp
The subjects of the small miniatures are as follows:
f.13 St John on Patmos, f.14v St Luke, f.15v St Matthew, f.17 St Mark, f.20v the Virgin enthroned with the Child, f.29v St Veronica holding her veil imprinted with Christ's face, f.112v St Nicolas with the three boys in the brine tub, f.113 St Christopher bearing the Christ Child over the river, adored by a man in black, f.115 St Anne teaching the Virgin to read, f.115v St Barbara by her tower, f.116v St Catherine and her wheel being destroyed by angels, f.117 St Apollonia having her teeth extracted.
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