The Twelve Zodiacal Signs and Their Myths

Astrology and the signs of the zodiac in particular were among the most popular subjects for book artists of the Late Middle Ages. Often appearing in the calendar pages of prayer books alongside labors of the month or in the margins of maps, the growing popularity of these mythological symbols reflects the increasingly secular culture of the emerging Renaissance and the embrace of classical, even pagan ideas by inquisitive Europeans. This selection of single sheets represents a survey of some of the finest and most famous astrology-themed miniatures and calendar pages created between the 12th and 16th centuries, and simultaneously represent the most prestigious collections of medieval manuscripts in the world from Vatican City to the City of Angels – Los Angeles.
1. Aries, Breviary of Mayer van den Bergh, 1510, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp
2. Aquarius, Stammheimer Missale, Hildesheim, 1160–1180, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
3. Pisces, Hours of the Duke of York, Rouen, 1430–1440. Bibloteca Apostiloca Vatican, Rome
4. Scorpio, Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, Paris, 1413, Musée Condé, Chantilly
5. Sagittarius, Les Petite Heures du Duc de Berry, Paris, 1372–1390, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
6. Capricorn, Book of Hours, Netherlands/Bruges (?), 1500, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich
7. Leo, French Book of Hours, 1500, British Library, London
8. Virgo, The Bedford Hours, 1420, British Library, London
9. Libra, Grandes Heures du Duc de Rohan, Paris, 1430–1435, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
10. Taurus, Book of Hours of Isabella the Catholic, 1450–1460, Real Biblioteca del Palacio Real, Madrid
11. Gemini, Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne, Paris, 1503–1508, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
12. Cancer, Flemish Calendar, Bruges, 1525, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich