File:Book of Hours, Use of Rome (IA 1945 65 13).pdf

Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, 1945‑65‑13. France, Mid to late 15th century. This Book of Hours for the Use of Rome contains an unusually dense iconographic cycle which includes fifty-three large miniatures and many smaller marginal scenes. It was produced in Northern France, most likely Paris, in the last decade of the fifteenth century. The calendar, in French (pp. 1-24), is illustrated on each page with seven or eight small miniatures housed within architectural frames, representing the signs of the zodiac, the labors of the months, scenes of the principal feasts, and bust-length or full-length portraits of relevant saints. The verso pages of the calendar contain additional miniatures within the text block representing further saints. The Gospel Lessons are each introduced with a large miniature (pp. 25, 29, 33, and 37, the first of which encapsulates the text block), as are the Obsecro te and O intemerata (pp. 41 and 48; the first is surrounded by a burgundy border with musical putti and the second with angels holding the instruments of the passion). The Hours of the Virgin is preceded by two full-page miniatures showing the Fall and the Expulsion from Eden (p. 57), and the Tree of Jesse (p. 58). The Hours of the Virgin itself contains a full sequence of miniatures, with the initial miniature of the Annunication (p. 59) surrounded by an architectural frame with additional vignettes related to the Life of the Virgin. The Penitential Psalms are introduced by a large miniature of Kind David in Prayer, surrounded by an architectural frame with vignettes (p. 179). Unusually, the Litany and prayers constitute a separate textual section and are introduced by a large miniature of All Saints, surrounded by an angel-inhabited border (p. 202). The Hours of the Cross, which begins on p. 217 with a large miniature of the Arrest of Christ within a golden all'antica architectural frame, contains a set of six further large miniatures illustrating Christ's Passion through to the Entombment. The Hours of the Holy Spirit, which begins on p. 236 with a large miniature of the Resurrection, also within a golden all'antica frame, continues with six further large miniatures showing post-Resurrection scenes, not in chronological order, interspersed with a large miniature of the Baptism of Christ (p. 248). The Office of the Dead opens with a large miniature of the Raising of Lazarus, surrounded by the Three Living and the Three Dead in separate architectural compartments, and an image of a hermit monk below (p. 253). After this page, there begins a remarkable series of sixty-two bas-de-page representations of the Dance of Death within the lower borders, consisting of men and women from all estates of society, identified in French, who are being led in each case by a tunic-wearing skeleton figure (p. 254 to p. 285 for the men; p. 286 to p. 317 for the women). The Office of the Dead continues with, for Matins, a large miniature of Souls in Purgatory surrounded by border figures showing a naked man tormented in Hell and a soul raised to heaven and seated with God and angels (p. 270). Highly unusually, the nine lections for Matins of the Office of the Dead are marked by large miniatures showing the story of Job. Lauds of the Office of the Dead is not marked by a miniature, but throughout this final section of the Office the lower borders are frequently populated with hunting scenes. The Suffrages, which are to the Trinity and Saints Michael, James, Christopher, Sebastian, Peter and Paul, Catherine, Genevieve, Mary Magdalene, and Margaret, are each introduced by a large miniature, and each has subsidiary border figures acting out related scenes from the saint's life. Unless otherwise specified, large miniatures are surrounded by full foliate borders, many of which include subsidiary figures.