IM-1529: Original leaf from a medieval illuminated manuscript Book of Hours. 16 lines of text, ruled in red, written in Latin with dark brown ink in precise and elegant letter batarde script on animal vellum.
France: Vicinity of Lyon, c. 1470.
Size: 3.75 x 2.75 inches - 95x70mm
The miniature painting depicts Mary's Annunciation to Anne and Joachim (her parents) by an artist working in the manner of the Saluces painter.
A beautifully executed leaf from a lavish Book of Hours, probably made for a lady. The subject is extremely scarce, not being seen in the ordinary Nativity cycle, but only in expensive books with an expanded number of miniatures. The gestures and expressions of the parents convey their awe and emotion at the remarkable news.
Elaborately embellished with nine one- and two-line illuminated initials in gold on blue and red ground, with delicate white tracery and a large four-line illuminated initial in blue with a floral infill on gold ground. The panel border contains an intricate floral motif with two birds, one of them a peacock.
The illuminated initial “D” opens the Hours of the Virgin, Hour of Lauds “Deus in adiutorium…” (God, come to my assistance…).
The two-line illuminated initial “D’ begins Psalm 92: “Dominus regnavit…” (The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty…)
Books of Hours are personal prayer-books of a devout and status-conscious society and are not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time. They reveal a unique combination of sacred and secular imagery - made of the finest materials, by the best craftsmen, for a small audience which could both appreciate and afford them.
Shipped unmatted
