The personal prayer book of King Philip II of Spain and a magnificently illuminated highlight of Spanish book illumination
Book of Hours of Philip II
Royal Monastery of El Escorial, San Lorenzo of El Escorial (Spain) — 16th century

Book of Hours of Philip II
Royal Monastery of El Escorial, San Lorenzo of El Escorial (Spain) — 16th century
This truly kingly manuscript was the personal book of hours of King Philip II of Spain (1527–98)
It stands out as one of the greatest specimens of 16th century Spanish illumination
The monks Andrés de León and Julián de la Fuenta el Saz created the royal commission

Book of Hours of Philip II
“D” Initial
Books of hours included antiphons, short chants sung in refrain and rooted in the Psalms that were usually recited at Lauds and Vespers. This antiphon is introduced with the words Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam or “O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.”, which is Psalm 50:17 in the Latin Vulgate. It is introduced by a lovely historiated “D” initial of a woman playing an organ, which is masterfully shaded in the grisaille style.
Book of Hours of Philip II
- The Philip II Prayer Book
- Libro de Horas de Felipe II
- Capitulario de Felipe II
- Stundenbuch Philipps II.
Short Description
The book of hours owned by the Spanish King Philip II impresses with wonderful, stylish miniatures that are perfectly executed artistically and a rich, creative design of the pages of text and imagery. Philip II, the significant Spanish King and builder of the royal monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial commissioned the private devotional book, which was made by two monks of the Escorial. Oriented on the style of Italian role models like Giulo Clovio, the religious depictions and ornamental bordures bring the most luminous colors and noble gold together with fantastic miniature painting. The Book of Hours of Philip II represents one of the gems of the monastic library of the Escorial.
Book of Hours of Philip II
The book of hours owned by the Spanish King Philip II impresses with wonderful, stylish miniatures that are perfectly executed artistically and a rich, creative design of the pages of text and imagery. Philip II, the significant Spanish King and builder of the royal monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial commissioned the private devotional book, which was made by two monks of the Escorial. Oriented on the style of Italian role models like Giulo Clovio, the religious depictions and ornamental bordures bring the most luminous colors and noble gold together with fantastic miniature painting. The Book of Hours of Philip II represents one of the gems of the monastic library of the Escorial.
The Royal Patron
In the years 1563–1585, King Philip II (1527–1598) had a royal monastery of incredible proportions built on a hill amidst a wide, barren landscape not far from Madrid. To this day, the monastery complex of San Lorenzo de El Escorial belongs among the most impressive edifices of 16th century Spain. The significant library with the great hall under a barrel vault decorated with wonderful frescoes is also one of the monuments created by Philip II. Numerous manuscript have been housed in the library since the time of Philip II, some true treasures of illumination among them.
A Spanish Work of Art in the Italian Style
The Book of Hours of Philip II assembles 45 miniatures on 324 pages. All the pages of the royal manuscript are opulently designed with decorative ornamentation and furnished with gilded initials. The private book of hours, with an unusually large format of 33.5 x 23 cm, offers an unbelievably colorful impression at first sight. The Hieronymites Andrés de León and Julián de la Fuenta el Saz were the artists responsible for the manuscript. They oriented their artistic arrangement for the royal commission on Italian examples. The miniatures, frames, and initials are reminiscent of the fantastic art of Giulio Clovio in their perfection.
Airy Miniatures Alongside Ornamental Bordures
The biblical scenes of the miniatures play out above and before an airy green landscape and interior spaces designed with a strict perspective. The figures in colorful, lightly-draped garments are extremely animated and lovingly individualized. The large-format miniatures are surrounded by broad bordures, which also adorn some pages of text. Tasty fruits and splendid blossoms alternate in the décor with playful cherubs and other ornaments. Some of the pages are designed in a restrained yet noble manner with monochrome frames and bewildering golden ornaments, in which wonderful medallions with monochrome depictions of saints are embedded. The initials of the text are also furnished with gold in accordance with the overall artistic design. The prayer books of Philip II represents an outstanding attestation of 16th century Spanish illumination and, with its artistic décor of the highest quality, is worthy of a royal owner.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- The Philip II Prayer Book
Libro de Horas de Felipe II
Capitulario de Felipe II
Stundenbuch Philipps II. - Size / Format
- 324 pages / 33.5 x 23.0 cm
- Date
- 16th century
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 45 miniatures
- Artist / School
- Written and illuminated by the monks Andrés de León, Julián de la Fuente el Saz, ... the Mannerist style of Giulio Clovio

Book of Hours of Philip II
Annunciation to Joseph
The great Giulio Clovio has presented this scene from Matthew 1:18–25, which is rarely depicted in art. Joseph, upon learning that his betrothed is pregnant, is distressed and considers divorcing her in private to save her from disgrace. However, an angel appears to him, telling him of the miraculous conception and convincing him to take Mary to wife.
Aside from the incredible color palette, one cannot help but be struck by the emotionality of Mary and Joseph in this scene. The angel above bursts forth with great dynamism, Joseph looks stunned by the force of this news and falls or lunges forward. He is seemingly caught by Mary, who braces him by holding onto his arms. They look intently into one another’s eyes as the realization takes hold.
2 available facsimile edition(s) of „Book of Hours of Philip II“
Libro de Horas de Felipe II
- Publisher
- Patrimonio Ediciones – Valencia, 1996
- Limited Edition
- 979 copies
- Binding
- Leather over wooden boards
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Francisco Gimeno Blay and Amadeo Serra Desfilis
Language: Spanish - More Information
- In the creation of the fine facsimile the gold has been applied by hand, thus achieving a reproduction faithful to the original
Capitulario de Felipe II
- Publisher
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial – Madrid, 1996
- Limited Edition
- 980 copies
- Binding
- Hand stitched and bound in red velvet. Faithful reproduction of the original with silver hardware.
- Commentary
-
2 volumes by Juan José Martín González and José Manuel Ruiz Asencio
Language: Spanish - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Matching Works
Book of Hours of the Weaving Virgin
A masterpiece with a rare miniature, unusual prayers, and gorgeous illumination
Experience MorePrayer Book of Anne de Bretagne
For her personal meditation and the education of the Dauphin: the "little" prayer book of the Queen of France, Sicily, and Jerusalem
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Books of Hours
What is a book of hours? A prayer book for personal use based upon the “offices” or official prayers that were to be said...Experience moreRenaissance
What does the word “Renaissance” bring to mind for you? Art, science, and culture of course! It was a "rebirth" and...Experience more16th Century
When did the Middle Ages end and the Early Modern Period begin? Most agree it was sometime in the course of the 16th...Experience morePrayer Books
Interested in a personal glimpse into the personality of a famous medieval figure? Prayer books were small codices...Experience more
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Popyläen Verlag
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Yushodo