![]() The full, bracket borders, containing floral and scroll devices decorated with dragons, rainbow-colored birds, and hybrid creatures, were made by a different hand, and are typical of those painted by an artist named Jean Serpin (or Cerpin) and his workshop. Given the style of the illuminations in comparison to other extant manuscripts, the Master of the Missal of Amboise le Veneur, an artist whose Christian name is unknown but who is associated with the largest workshop in Rouen during that period, probably had a hand in making the RISD book. Just as the name of the original owner remains elusive, attributions of illuminated manuscripts are challenging due to the many different hands involved in one book and the absence of artists’ signatures. Because books of hours were often passed down for generations, owners made changes to books that reflected their family name. Unfortunately, we have lost this lady’s name: next to her is a 16th-century French abbot’s coat of arms, which has been painted over an earlier coat of arms. The addition of prayers for the Office of the Dead, Litanies (short incantations to the saints), and Suffrages (prayers to the saints for forgiveness of past sins) mark her concerns as particularly focused on end of life. The inclusion of prayers to the Virgin, the Holy Cross, and the Holy Spirit confirm that she was concerned with performing multiple prayers at fixed hours throughout the day. The order and number of prayers and illuminations and even the script were probably specified by the owner. This anachronistic grouping presents the patroness in a perpetual and everlasting spiritual communion with the divine. Shown kneeling, her hair covered, she is represented in attendance at Christ’s Deposition along with the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, St. The original owner of the book appears as a well-dressed lady wearing red and holding a rosary in the final illumination. ![]() The collaboration between scribes, illuminators, and bookbinders apparent in the assembly of the book is also evident in its contents, which reveal the influence of the person who first commissioned it or used it. These helped the bookbinder determine the correct ordering of quires after the book’s production was complete. The subject matter of the illuminations in the RISD book is typical of most books of hours, depicting events thought to have taken place at the same time or hour of day as the canonical hour.Ĭatchwords-words added by the scribe at the bottom right of the last page in the quire corresponding to the first word of the next quire-are also visible throughout the book. In devotional practice of the period, images were a key element in guiding the believer toward a spiritual vision, and the prayers and illuminations in books of hours were meant to act as direct aids for personal spiritual communion with the divine. These prayers, or Offices, are illustrated with 13 illuminations comprising the significant biblical narratives from the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ. Like all books of hours, RISD’s is a prayer book containing devotional texts meant to be recited by the owner at the Catholic Church’s eight fixed canonical hours of the day. The RISD Museum recently acquired an illuminated book of hours made around 1510 in Rouen, France. ![]() ![]() Owned by members of almost every rank of society, from kings and queens to clergy, merchants, and young women, these illuminated manuscripts were prized family objects, passed down through generations. The miniatures in this manuscript are particularly evocative and present all the events that are narrated in the Bible.Books of hours were the bestsellers of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from approximately 1250 to 1550. As you may notice, most of the miniatures below come from Book of Hours from the 15th / 16th century. All the images in this post are from the Devotional Books collection and cover most of the events celebrated during the Holy Week. So, as a late Easter present, we have made a selection of the most beautiful scenes from the Getty Museum’s digitized medieval manuscripts. Nonetheless, we saw fantastic illuminated manuscripts this week, especially from the Getty Museum’s website (we reviewed it here). You have certainly seen our posts on our Facebook page ( almost 4’000 Likes! Wohoo!), we also wanted to create a short video with miniatures from various books of hours representing the death and resurrection of Christ but, alas, time was to short and we didn’t manage. ![]() It has been a busy Easter here at Sexy Codicology. ![]()
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