Glockendon Hours
The Nuremberg artist Nikolaus Glockendon, the last great German illuminator, completed a fantastic illuminated prayer book for Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg ca. 1534. The Glockendon Hours is adorned with 43 high-quality, full-page miniatures from the quill of the master, Glockendon, and contains an additional graphic print from Nuremberg’s Albrecht Dürer. The historically-significant text is not only one of the last masterpieces of handwritten book art, but at the same time, is also a gem from the private collection of one of the most important advocates of the Catholic faith during the time of the Reformation.
Glockendon Hours
Nikolaus Glockendon was the last great master of hand-made book art in Germany. His illuminated manuscripts count among the most highly valued that were ever produced by medieval European illumination. Named after the unbelievably talented master, the Glockendon Hours is one of his most exclusive works and stands out not only because of its noble illustration, but equally so because of its historically significance. The work was made for the young prince of the church, Albrecht von Brandenburg and contains prayer texts for his private devotion. It is adorned with 43 enchanting, full-page miniatures and 62 richly embellished initials.
The End of an Era
When the artist Nikolaus Glockendon appeared, the art of making books by hand was already displaced by book printing to a large extent. As a result, the native of Nuremberg was one of the last illuminators who composed his texts and pictures by hand. Simultaneously, he was one of the most gifted artists in his field. He worked for the wealthiest German princes and had the favor of Albrecht Dürer, probably the greatest artist to come out of Nuremberg. It was also Dürer who made Glockendon known to his eventual patron, Albrecht von Brandenburg. Alongside the prayer book for Cardinal Albrecht, Glockendon produced masterpieces for Duke Johann of Saxony and Duke Albrecht of Prussia.
A German Prince of the Church
Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg was already the Archbishop of Mainz at the age of 23, and as such Metropole of the church province of Mainz, sovereign lord of the Archbishopric of Mainz, Prince-Elector, and Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire and eventually a Cardinal of the Roman Church. As a promoter of the selling of indulgences and a high-ranking ecclesiastical dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, he was one of the most important and popular opponents of Martin Luther. In a time during which political life in Germany was characterized by religious upheavals, the strictly religious Catholic and art-lover Albrecht primarily prayed and meditated by himself. It was for this purpose that he commissioned Glockendon with the furnishing of a private book of devotion, worthy of the high-rank of the Prince of the Church.
Enchanting Pictorial Decoration
The harmonious, full-page miniatures of the prayer book show scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and continuously refer to their high-ranking commissioner. An image shows the Coat of Arms of the Archbishop of Mainz in splendid colors. The biblical scenes were transposed into the medieval world. The Salvation History of the New Testament is pictured in the large-format miniatures and is framed by scenes from the Old Testament, which, in the eschatological worldview of the Middle Ages, predicted the events of the New Testament. 62 splendid historiated initials, which were completed by Glockendon’s no-less talented associate Georg Stierlein, ennoble the meticulous script of the prayer book. A highpoint of the enchanting illumination of the work is represented by a graphic print by Albrecht Dürer, which was appended to the manuscript in 1523.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Prayer Book of Albert of Brandenburg
Albert of Brandeburg Prayerbook
Glockendon-Gebetbuch
Libro de Oración de Alberto de Brandenburgo
Il Libro di Devozione di Alberto di Brandeburgo
Livre de Prières d’Albert de Brandebourg
Livro de Oração de Alberto de Brandemburgo - Size / Format
- 256 pages / 21.5 × 16.5 cm
- Origin
- Germany
- Date
- 1534
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 43 full-page miniatures and 62 decorative initials
- Patron
- Albert of Brandenburg, Bishop of Magdeburg (1490–1545)
- Artist / School
- Nikolaus Glockendon (ca. 1490/95–1533/4)
- Previous Owners
- Tommaso Obizzi (1750–1803)
Este Family
Glockendon Hours
Gilded Frame with Floral Marginalia
The greatest works of art distinguish themselves not only by the way in which primary scenes are depicted, but the amount of detail and attention that one finds in the margins. For example, a white greyhound lounges lazily in one corner of this miniature and shares the beholder’s perspective of this scene; the artist’s signature “NG” can be seen in the other corner. The snail and songbird in the floral frame with a gold leaf background are painted with a superfluous level of detail as well.

Glockendon Hours
The Betrayal of Judas / Joseph’s Dreams
This miniature page juxtaposes the New Testament story of Judas and the Old Testament story of Joseph, famous for his dreams and the ability to interpret the dreams of others. The creative frame takes the form of a series of sticks bound together and has a red sign hanging in the upper left corner indicating the source of the scene in the margins.
The primary miniature shows Judas accepting thirty pieces of silver from the Sanhedrin, who are dressed as bloated Renaissance clerics, in exchange for identifying Jesus to them. The scene is depicted within a sublime Renaissance interior. The bas-de-page miniature is a lovely landscape, in which young Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and then taken off to Egypt by camel.

#1 Glockendon-Gebetbuch
Language: German
#2 Il Libro di Devozione di Alberto di Brandeburgo
Language: Italian
#3 Libro de Oración de Alberto de Brandemburgo
Language: Spanish
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