Hours of Mary of Burgundy

Book of Hours of Mary of Burgundy

The Book of Hours of Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold, was made when book illumination had reached its peak, at a time when there were already printed books; however, this period also saw the production of precious hand-written codices, especially in the Netherlands and in France. This book of hours, with its magnificent miniatures and scrollwork reflecting the splendor of the Burgundian court, was a gift from Margaret of York to her stepdaughter Mary. The codex is well known among art historians and connoisseurs of illumination alike. Its outstandingly beautiful decoration makes it one of those manuscripts that both fascinates and astonishes the reader with every page. Besides miniatures of Flemish origin, it also contains some of the most splendid compositions by leading artists of the Burgundian court.

Enchanting Flemish Miniatures for a Famous Medieval Woman

All 378 pages (189 folios) of the prayer book fascinate with their artful decoration. The first 34 leaves containing the calendar excel by virtue of a special technique which seems well worth mentioning: the text is hand written in gold and silver ink on a black ground. With a total of 20 full-page miniatures, the book raises the curtain on everyday life and thinking in the Burgundian period. Each text page of the book is embellished with ornamental borders, drolleries, fantastic decorations and rich calligraphic elements. Only top artists were asked to make their contribution to this holistic work of art

The Masters of the Book of Hours

The production of a richly artful, illuminated book of hours was usually the work of a team. While a calligrapher was in charge of the writing, the ornamental borders were executed by a technically competent miniaturist who based his work on existing models or even prefabricated stencils. The illustrations as such were added by a different master at a later stage. A book of hours entrusted to a number of different masters would most likely suffer in its uniform identity. The person in charge of the overall planning and selection of the artists would therefore be anxious to choose painters of an equal level of accomplishment. The result is clearly visible in this work which combines the foremost achievements of Flemish book painting in the late 1470's.

Reflections of a Luxurious Court life

By today’s standards, the luxurious decoration of this book of hours does not always correspond with the character of a book of meditation. Although the illustrations show religious scenes, their composition and details are above all masterpieces of painting, as the emphasis seems to be more on artistic execution than on content. This book most impressively presents not only the way of thinking prevalent during the heyday of the Burgundian court, but also documents the courtly society of this period. The reader’s gaze is often pleasantly diverted from the contents of the picture, by idyllic landscape backgrounds, magnificent architecture, or fashionable and elegant clothing, not to mention the numerous amusing figures in the margins. If our secular age takes offence at the profane decoration of prayer books, this is because we have forgotten that people of these times were quite innocent of our radical separation of the spiritual and the secular today; they had a holistic Christian conception of the world in which the beautiful and the serene were present, side by side with the holy.