Book of Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici

The handwritten, illuminated codices of the Italian Renaissance are counted among the highest achievements of European illumination during the Middle Ages. The unforgettably high-quality artistic refinement of Italian illuminators of that time influenced artists worldwide and set new standards. In particular, the court of the famous Renaissance principality of the Medici served as a point of origin for works whose breathtaking variety of designs remain unrivalled. The art lover Lorenzo de Medici commissioned a few literary works, which today count among the greatest book treasures in the world. Among these is also his book of hours, which was listed in the Prince’s inventory in 1492 as the so-called “book of hours for the use of ladies”. The small gem only measures 10 x 15 cm and is embellished with nine full-page pictures with elaborate frames.

A Precious Jewel

Lorenzo de Medici most likely commissioned the small book, which according to its title was intended for women, as a wedding present for his daughter. The design of the work is ascribed to the famous Italian illuminator Francesco Rosselli. The Renaissance artist worked as a copperplate engraver, miniaturist, cartographer, and painter and is considered to be the most famous representative of the Florentine school alongside Francesco di Antonio del Chierico. Each of the 233 pages of text in the manuscript is adorned with a high-quality decorative element. The exceptional binding of the book already makes the heart of every art lover beat faster. It consists of violet velvet, which is offset by metal corner fittings and clasps made of chiseled gilded silver and is studded on the front and back covers with a large lapis lazuli and four rose quartz.

A Carefully Conceived Image Program

The miniatures of the work are a mirror of the high grade of art, which the Italian Renaissance had reached up to that in its development. Everything in this manuscript points to a prestigious provenance and an equally sophisticated addressee – from the binding to the stingingly beautiful script to the carefully conceived arrangement of the miniatures. The pages of the book on which the written text dominates are decorated with richly adorned initials and friezes. The high quality of the full-page miniatures, which depict biblical scenes and motifs, makes them reminiscent of the world-famous paintings of great Renaissance artists like Botticelli or da Vinci. They are framed by richly embellished wreaths and garlands and all of the pictures are arranged on the pages according to the strictest rules of harmony in book art. Today, the precious codex is stored in the bequest library of Lorenzo de Medici in Florence.