Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Maria Antonietta of Savoia

Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Maria Antonietta of Savoy

This Italian manuscript from the second half of the 15th century is reminiscent of Flemish illumination in its elegant and artful décor. Nonetheless, the Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis has a uniquely Italian character in that the majority of the saints presented are specifically Italian. The manuscript finally came into the possession of Maria Antionietta of Savoy, the youngest daughter of King Philip V and the wife of the King of Sardinia-Piedmont, Victor Amadeus II of the House of Savoy.

An Italian Annunciation in the Flemish Style

A gorgeous depiction of the Annunciation is illustrated in the Officium: Mary, kneeling on a pillow in prayer, and the arch angel, who is delivering the good news with a banderole, are in an artfully-composed space with asymmetrical checkered floors, ornamented walls, and a green canopy over the lectern, before which Mary kneels. God the Father watches over the scene from the upper left corner of the image. Finally, a vase with two white lilies as a symbol of Mary’s virginity stands in the center of the room.

Filigree Ornamentation and Grandiose Miniatures

This miniature is exemplary of the grandiose visual décor of the Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Maria Antonietta of Savoy: 13 full-page miniatures, 13 historiated initials, and 172 decorative initials in red and blue inks also adorn the lavishly decorated manuscript. Alongside this miniature of the Annunciation, the gorgeous, haunting depiction of the Lamentation also makes the artistic influences from Flanders apparent. Although originating from Italy in the second half of the 15th century, the paintings are reminiscent of the Flemish school of Willem Vrelant.

A Spanish Infanta

The precious manuscript bears the name of one of its owners: Maria Antonietta of Spain (Span. Maria Antonia Fernanda, 1729–1785), a Spanish Infanta as the youngest daughter of Philip V. She became the Queen of Sardinia-Piedmont through her marriage to Victor Amadeus III of the House of Savoy and thus also gained possession of the Italian Officium. Victor Amadeus was the son of Carlo Emanuele III, Duke of Saxony and King of Sardinia-Piedmont. He was also the one to acquire the manuscript in 1764 from a cleric at the Church of St. Joire in Savoy.