Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades
The so-called Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades is a unique work of book art: a compendium of various pieces of 15th and 16th century illumination, which was compiled in the 19th century at the behest of Bishop Morgades of Vic. 110 pages with gorgeous miniatures and marvelous text with grandiose bordures and other artistic decorations give an overview of the illumination of the Gothic and Renaissance styles. The Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades offers the opportunity to familiarize oneself with book art from a completely new angle and in the small, hand-held format typical for a medieval book of hours.
Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades
The so-called Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades is a unique work of book art: a compendium of various pieces of 15th and 16th century illumination, which was compiled in the 19th century at the behest of Bishop Morgades of Vic. 110 pages with gorgeous miniatures and marvelous text with grandiose bordures and other artistic decorations give an overview of the illumination of the Gothic and Renaissance styles. The Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades offers the opportunity to familiarize oneself with book art from a completely new angle and in the small, hand-held format typical for a medieval book of hours.
A 19th Century Idea
Manuscript No. 88 of the Museu Episcopal de Vic, a piece from the collection of the episcopal library, inspires one with its impressive pictorial adornment. The manuscript was compiled as a compendium of various set pieces at the behest of Bishop José Morgades y Gili, Bishop of Vic in the 19th century. Vic is a city in the province of Barcelona in Spain and a historically-significant diocese with a gorgeous cathedral. Bishop Morgades demonstrated his deep appreciation for the illumination of earlier times with his book of hours compiled from older manuscripts.
Two Centuries of Illumination
The miniatures and visual decoration of the manuscript originate from various workshops in Flanders and Spain. The time period for the creation of these pages ranges from the year 1410 to well into the 16th century. In this way, both the Gothic and Renaissance periods are stylistically recognizable. The Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades is in the format of a small personal prayer book that one can carry everywhere with them and contains 4 full-page miniatures from the year 1410 and 30 full-page miniatures from the 16th century of its 110 pages altogether. Additionally, 60 pages of text are exuberantly furnished with bordures and other artistic decoration.
Typical Depictions
The wonderful miniature of Saint Catherine with the wheel and supported by a sword presents itself as a striking composition: the saint stands on a checkerboard-patterned floor and before a black background, which is decorated with white ornamentation. A Flemish urban backdrop adorns another page of the manuscript. Also, a few of the pages of text are adorned with exuberant, ornamentally-filled, broad bordures, artful initials, and lovingly-designed flowers and insects.
A Juxtaposition of Styles
The Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades is a unique work in the history of book art: a compendium that was compiled from various pieces in the 19th century. In this way, the manuscript gives a wonderful, unusual mixture of miniatures and an overview of the development of illumination from the early 15th to the 16th century. It offers the opportunity to familiarize oneself with various miniaturists and their respective works, and to compare their various styles in a single manuscript.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Libro de Horas del Obispo Morgades
Stundenbuch des Bischofs Morgades
Livre d'Heures de l'Évêque Morgades
Libro d'Ore del Vescovo Morgades - Size / Format
- 110 pages / 14.2 × 10.3 cm
- Origin
- Belgium
- Date
- 1410–16th century
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 4 full-page miniatures (1410), 30 full-page miniatures (early 16th century), and 70 pages with text and marginal decorations
- Patron
- Bishop Morgades (1826-1901)
- Artist / School
- Catalan style (1410)
Flemish school with influences of the Cinquecento
Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades
The Carpenter’s Son
According to the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth was a carpenter like his father, Joseph, and as such would have begun apprenticing at a young age to learn the family trade. This fine bas-de-page miniature shows Jesus as a child playing on the floor with a tool and sitting next to his mother, who is reading from a book on a small lectern. Various medieval carpenter’s tools are clearly depicted to the right including an axe, saw, plane, pliers, and hammer.

Book of Hours of the Bishop Morgades
Saint Barbara
This a perfect example of Gothic portraiture. Its frame of red, purple, and gold is surrounded by multicolor tendrils. The figure stands on a stone slab that gives a sense of depth and hovers before the background: a symmetrical pattern of black boxes alternating between red and blue flowers, which contrast sharply with the gold leaf separating them
Saint Barbara is identifiable by her chalice and palm of martyrdom, depicted in gold leaf as is the halo shining through her short, curly red hair. The folds of her beautiful green cloak are natural, her pose is elegant, her face eternally youthful. Her humility is highlighted by a bare foot just barely poking out from under her elegant robes, which spill out onto the frame for a dynamic effect.

#1 Libro de Horas del Obispo Morgades
Languages: Spanish, Italian
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