Grimani Breviary

Grimani Breviary

A wonderful calendar is considered to be one of the greatest treasures in the Grimani Breviary: the splendor of the manuscript finds expression in the full-page miniatures with the typical depictions of the course of the agricultural year. For example, there is an especially beautiful scene of winter, which simultaneously depicts an interior space and the events outside under the night’s sky. Yet this is only one of countless grandiose miniatures adorning the manuscript. 120 full-page and numerous smaller miniatures illustrate Christian scenes above all. This exceptional visual experience is brilliantly rounded out by the exuberant decoration of the ornamental and figurative marginal decorations with flowers, animals, fruits, and architectural motifs.

A Highpoint of Flemish Illumination

The Grimani Breviary is considered to be an outstanding specimen of Flemish illumination during the Renaissance because of its exceptionally high-quality and lavish book adornment, a highpoint in the history of illumination! Originating ca. 1510–20 in Flanders, numerous artists with famous names contributed to its genesis, including Gerard Horenbout, Simon and Alexander Bening, Gerard David, and the so-called Master of the David Scenes in the Grimani Breviary.

Miniature Painting at the Highest Level

The manuscript’s namesake, Cardinal Domenico Grimani (1461–1523), acquired the codex ca. 1520 and bequeathed it to the Republic of Venice. Thus, the Grimani Breviary belonged to the San Marco treasury until 1781 and is housed today in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice. A splendid binding with dark-red velvet and gilded bronze ornaments makes the connection to Cardinal Domenico Grimani clear. A portrait of him is recorded on the front cover and a portrait of Doge Giovanni Grimani, his father, is found on the back. In this way, the exterior also fits the outstanding position of the Grimani Breviary as one of the most complex and interesting, beautiful and valuable Flemish manuscripts of the 16th century!