Breviary of Martin of Aragon

One of the most densely and beautifully illuminated manuscripts of the Spanish Gothic style: the Breviary of Martin of Aragon. Commissioned by Martin of Aragon (1356–1410), King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, and Count of Barcelona, this extraordinary manuscript reflects the wealth and power of a patron whose empire stretched across the Western Mediterranean. Work began on it in 1398 but it was not completed by the time of the King’s death, nonetheless, it is a masterpiece. After his death, the breviary passed to Alfonso V (1396–1458) the Magnanimous, who had it completed between 1420 and 1430. The manuscript seemingly disappeared in the following centuries until it reemerged in the library of Charles de Rothschild in Frankfurt am Main in the 20th century, and was bequeathed to the Bibliothèque nationale de France in 1947, where it is stored under the shelf mark MSS Rothschild 2529.

A Prayer Book Worthy of a King

A breviary is a prayer book similar to a book of hours, but more extensive and usually intended for use by the clergy during mass, while books of hours were typically used by members of the laity for private devotional use, or to follow along with the priest. Some monarchs, in order to distinguish themselves and have truly “kingly” manuscripts, commissioned breviaries for themselves. This particular text is oriented on the rite practiced at Poblet Abbey in Catalonia, where the kings of Aragon were laid to rest. It is mostly written in Latin, but the names of the months in the calendar section are written in Catalan, and there are also obituaries for members of the royal family of Aragon from the 13th and 14th centuries. These entries are written in blue ink to contrast with the red, black, and gold ink used in the rest of the calendar section. The half-page miniatures of the calendar section do not contain typical labors of the month but depict figures from church history, typically saints or biblical figures associated with the respective month. Every page of the text is framed with gorgeous tendrils of red, blue, and gold. The text is further adorned with 5 full-page miniatures, 24 half-page miniatures, 68 small miniatures, and numerous historiated initials. This splendor is contained within a gold embossed hard leather binding.

An Actively Involved Patron

The manuscript also contains three letters from the King pertaining to its creation. The first, written to the abbot of Poblet, is dated February 17th, 1398 and indicates that this is when work began, another from February 27th of the same year contains the king’s thanks for the abbot’s diligence and indicates that the King has sent a large number of parchments for the work. A letter from 1403, coincidentally dated to February 17th, asks for the illuminator to finish some important paintings for him and promises to send his own illuminator to help with work at the abbey.