Something Beautiful

Grandes Heures: Monthly calendar

Every Book of Hours seems to have a monthly calendar, i.e., a set of twelve, or twenty-four, pages devoted to the feast days of each month.  These pages often depict a labor that is typical of the month in question, and even the astrological signs for the month.  

The Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne has, as one would expect, a set of sumptuous illustrations for the months of the years. On the left of each set is a page containing text and marginal decoration; on the right is a list of the month's feast days with an illustration of an activity typical of that month.  

January: f. 4r
February: f. 4v / f. 5r
March: f. 5v / f. 6r
April: f. 6v / f. 7r
May: f. 7v / f. 8r
June: f. 8v / f. 9r

July: f. 9v / f. 10r
August: f. 10v / f. 11r
September: f. 11v / f. 12r
October: f. 12v / f. 13r
November: f. 13v / f. 14r
December: f. 14v / f. 15r

 

Quaere: is the illustrator having us on with respect to the laborer on the left in the June page? It seems to me that he is!

Grandes Heures: Evangelists

I've fallen in love with the Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne, and hope to post links to various 'sets' of miniatures in it. Here are its portraits of the four evangelists, along with the decorated pages facing each:

Evangelists:

f. 16v - St. John / f. 17r

f. 19v - St. Luke / f. 20r

f. 21v - St. Matthew / f. 22r  

f. 24v - St. Mark / f. 25r   

 

Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne (complete)

We have the privilege of seeing the entirety of the Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne online. I absolutely love this Book of Hours, which was made c. 1505 by an unknown artist.

Anne de Bretagne was born in 1477 and died in 1513 at the age of 35.  She was a queen of France and one of the best-known women of her age.  She is buried with other French royalty in St. Denis Basilica.  

Before looking at her Grandes Heures, we should note that another illuminated manuscript that bears her name, the Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne, is also available online.  It was illuminated by Jean Poyer, is owned by the Morgan Library, New York City, and is quite wonderful. 

And now onward to the Grandes Heures.  This manuscript is viewable at the Gallica site of the Bibliotheque National de France.   Its pages fall into three main categories: 

1:  Some have full-page illuminations.   These are usually show events in the life of Christ or have portraits of a saint.   Two examples are the Adoration of the Magi and St. Matthew the Evanglist. 

2:  Some pages present the text of a prayer surrounded on all four sides with a decorated margin.  One example is at f. 25r.   

3:  The great majority of pages offer just some prayers and an illustration on the outer margin of a flowering plant.  Some excellent examples appear at ff. 29r, 60r and  221v.  

To begin looking through the magic pages of these Grandes Heures, just pick one of the pages listed below.  You'll be presented with a 'mosaic' page of thumbnails. Choose a thumbnail and you'll be amazed at the level of detail that will become possible.

page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5

page 6
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11

 

Mandragore (BnF images)

I'm not sure yet but it looks like the Mandragore site might be pretty amazing.  It is one of several places where the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (National Library of France) is storing its images online.   I believe that it houses the images of a good many illuminated manuscripts. 

 

Fra Angelico (miniatures)

      The Convent of San Marco Museum in Florence, Italy, presented an exhibition a few years ago on Fra Angelico's illuminated manuscripts.   Although the exhibition closed some time ago there is, Deo gratias, its online counterpart continues.   (Note: the exhibition also looked at the work of Zanobi Strozzi and a few other artists, but they are not my focus here.)  

        Fra Angelico's illuminated initials and miniatures are found in the Choral books (Corali) section of the exhibition.   Four works are attributed to him and his assistants: 

Graduale di San Domenico (39); Close-ups 

Salterio I (16); Close-ups  

Salterio II (16); Close-ups

Missale II (33). Close-ups  

        In its iconography section, the exhibition also groups individual items according to theme.    The Glossary looks interesting but appears to be useful primarily for the learning of Italian!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jean Poyer (Greatest hits)

These two prayer books illuminated by Jean Poyer would have to be on my personal list of StB's greatest hits:  * Hours of Henry VIII
         * Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne   

Limbourg Brothers

Two additional entries into my personal 'Greatest Hits' list would have to be two works illuminated by Paul, Herman, and Jean Limbourg, three brothers of astounding genius who worked in France in the early decades of the 1400s.   Their Belles Heures du Duc de Berry is delicate and wonderful.   Their more sumptuous Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry is simply beyond compare.   To me it is simply astonishing that we can now see each leaf, in all its color, of both these works thanks to modern technology.  

Annunciation (da Pavia)

This Annunciation was done on vellum c. 1450 by Belvello da Pavia.   If you look at it in close-up, you'll see that it's quite exquisite. 

Book of Kells!

The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, has just placed the entirety of the Book of Kells online.  I havent' figured out yet how to bookmark individual pages, and that may actually prove impossible.   Take a look at these pages, however, to get a feel for some of the riches now available:

14,15;
53 (symbols of the Four Evangelists);
55, 56 (beg. of Gospel of St. Matthew);
63 (Christ enthroned);
64 (carpet page);
66 (famous Chi Rho page);
226 (Christ arrested);
246;
257 (symbols of Four Evangelists);
258 (beg. of Gospel);
372, 373, 374 (beg. of Gospel);
398-402 (genealogy of Christ);
403 (temptation of Christ);
568 (a personal favorite);
579 (symbols of the Four Evangelists);
581, 582 (beg. of Gospel of St. John);
677 (last surviving side).

Nativities

Let's look at some paintings of the Nativity in honor of Advent.  Here are leaves from several illuminated manuscripts that depict this event: 

•  Nativity, with shepherds, by Spitz Master, c. 1420
•  Nativity, with two angels, by Willem Vrelant, early 1460s (sweet)
•  Nativity, with angels and shepherds, by Simon Bening, c. 1525

  Each of these is a true Nativity because it has the 6 necessary elements: 3 Holy Family members, 2 animals (donkey, ox), and a stable.