An extraordinary and magnificent book treasure, even after its division into three works: Jan van Eyck's magnificent masterpiece for Jean Duc de Berry
Turin-Milan Hours
Paris, Bourges (France); The Hague (Netherlands); Bruges (Belgium) — Between 1380/90 and 1420

Turin-Milan Hours
Paris, Bourges (France); The Hague (Netherlands); Bruges (Belgium) — Between 1380/90 and 1420
The *Très Belles Heures*, *Turin-Milan Hours*, and now-burned *Turin Book of Hours* originally comprised a single work
Inter alia Jan van Eyck (ca. 1390–1441) is believed to have contributed to the work as a young man
It was commissioned ca. 1380 by Jean Duke of Berry (1340–1416), one of the greatest art patrons in history

Turin-Milan Hours
Judas Receives Thirty Pieces of Silver
Treachery is afoot despite the cozy setting of this room with Gothic windows, a roaring fire, and dogs. The richly dressed figures are conspiring against Jesus and the bareheaded man is Judas, shown receiving his infamous bribe: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.” (Rev. 26:14-15)
Turin-Milan Hours
- Turin-Mailänder Stundenbuch
- Libro d'ore di Torino-Milano
Short Description
An astounding book project was commissioned by the Burgundian Duke Jean de Berry shortly before 1400. It was a book of hours that was created by the greatest artists of Europe over a period of time that spanned half a century. The so-called Turin-Milan Hours, which was made between 1380 and 1440 and was continuously divided into fragments and brought back together, is an incomparable milestone of Gothic book art. Probably participating in the unbelievably high-quality furnishing of the codex, among others, was Jan van Eyck. They are the only book illustrations that the great Old Dutch Master created in his carrier.
Turin-Milan Hours
Hidden behind the simple title of the so-called Turin-Milan Hours is hidden a handwritten and illuminated codex which possesses a unique position in the history of mediaeval manuscripts. Over the course of time, it was continuously divided into fragments and found itself in the possession of the most important noble houses in Europe. The book gained its title from its then-residence in the house of Savoy, the ruling house of Milan, where it emerged from the National Library of Turin. The work combines the stylistic elements of two books of hours, one of which bore the title Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame and the other Heures de Turini. It is an incomparable, unique prayer book and missal, which was fashioned by a collection of the greatest artists of the Middle Ages over a time period comprising multiple generations. The book of hours contains 28 impressive, full-page miniatures. Particular fame was achieved by several miniatures that were probably created by Jan van Eyck – the founder of portrait art and father of the great Old Dutch painting-style.
The Origin Story of the Masterpiece
The Turin-Milan Hours was produced sometime between 1380/90 and the 1440’s in Paris and Flanders. Originally, the book of hours was an underlying part of the monumental work that had been commissioned by the Burgundian Duke Jean de Berry, namely the Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame. Two unbelievably-talented illuminators saw to the furnishing of this work until the death of the duke in the year 1416. By way of inheritance, the incomplete work reached the possession of Count Johann von Holland, who commissioned Jan van Eyck with its completion. Only a short time later, he was appointed to the court of Philip the Good, where he continued to grapple with the monumental project. Van Eyck’s death in the year 1441 abruptly ended work on the book of hours. In order to pay tribute to the great artist and to properly esteem his work, Duke Philip commissioned a further, obscure painter from Flanders who completed the codex according to the stylistic examples of van Eyck.
The Top Lineup of Illuminators
The most diverse theories exist about the illuminators of the 28 miniature pages. One of the artists, who devoted himself to the manuscript in the last quarter of the 14th century, is identified with the name of convenience “Master of the Parament of Narbonne”. A few miniatures were made in a particularly sophisticated painting technique, the so-called grisaille painting-style. These pictures were produced by an artist known as “Master G”. Hidden behind the mysterious Master G is most probably Jan van Eyck. The unmistakable depictions definitely mirror the style of the important artist. The brothers of van Eyck, Barthélemy and Hubert van Eyck, probably took part in the creation of the codex. There exists no other work from this historical epoch that was worked on by such an astounding artistic collective.
Historically Significant Illumination
The Turin-Milan Hours is an absolute magnum opus of Gothic illumination**. Some of the miniatures are counted among the most beautiful examples of Late-Gothic painting in France, while others demonstrate a revolutionary, illusionist style. These very same new kinds of depictions founded the Old Dutch Style of painting, which is **still of immeasurable significance for art history. The pictures ascribed to Jan van Eyck particularly astound historians and historically-interested book-lovers. They show the legendary abilities of the artist, which lend a higher meaning to everyday spaces with the help of masterfully integrated light reflections in the paintings. At the same time, it was van Eyck who first understood how to create realistic portraits. Furthermore, he led painting toward a microscopically exact reflection of reality. The significance of the *Turin-Milan Hours for the history of book art is irreplaceable.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Turin-Mailänder Stundenbuch
Libro d'ore di Torino-Milano - Size / Format
- 252 pages / 28.4 × 20.3 cm
- Date
- Between 1380/90 and 1420
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 28 pages of miniatures
- Artist / School
- Jean d'Orleans
Jan van Eyck
Hubert van Eyck
Master of the Life of John the Baptist
others - Previous Owners
- Robinet D'Estampes
House of Bavaria-Holland
House of Savoy
Prince Gian Giacomo Trivulzio

Turin-Milan Hours
Birth of John the Baptist
This miniature is a splendid sample of the magnum opus of Gothic illumination at hand. The scene is depicted in a richly furnished interior by the “Hand G”, believed to be Jan van Eyck, and is distinguished by its detail, subtlety, and illusionist realism. The bas-de-page miniature depicts Jesus’s baptism in a gorgeous landscape with a Gothic castle across the River Jordan.
The primary miniature makes wonderful use of perspective that extends into the next room, where a man in a red hat is reading. Baby John’s halo is rendered by delicate strokes of gold ink, and the cardinal-red of his birthing bed is magnetic. Aside from the various everyday objects, one sees a stained glass window, a dog with a bone, a cat drinking milk, and a toddler playing.
3 available facsimile edition(s) of „Turin-Milan Hours“
Turin-Mailänder Stundenbuch
- Publisher
- Faksimile Verlag – Lucerne, 1995
- Limited Edition
- 980 copies (199 of which sold in Italy by UTET)
- Binding
- The codex is bound in green velvet and decorated with fine gold embossing. The headband was hand sewn.
- Commentary
-
1 volume by James H. Marrow, Silvana Pettenati and Anne H. Buren
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Blätter im Louvre (Collection)
- Publisher
- Faksimile Verlag – Lucerne, 1994
- Limited Edition
- 980 copies (199 of which sold in Italy by UTET)
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Eberhard König, Gabriele Bartz, Angelo Giaccaria and François Huot
Languages: German, French - More Information
- Reproduction of the four leaves at Musée du Louvre (RF 2022-2025) as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding. The facsimile edition also includes black and white reproductions of the leaves in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino (Hs. K.IV.29).
Turin-Mailänder Stundenbuch
- Publisher
- De Agostini/UTET – Rome/Turin, 2005
- Limited Edition
- 199 copies (co-edition with Faksimile Verlag)
- Binding
- The codex is bound in green velvet and decorated with fine gold embossing. The headband was hand sewn.
- Commentary
-
1 volume by James H. Marrow, Silvana Pettenati and Anne H. Buren
Language: Italian - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Matching Works
Older Prayerbook of Emperor Charles V
Artistic perfection: the personal prayer book of the most powerful man in Europe
Experience MorePetites Prières of Renée de France
Stolen in 1994 and missing to this day: the beautiful prayer book of a French princess
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Books of Hours
What is a book of hours? A prayer book for personal use based upon the “offices” or official prayers that were to be said...Experience moreRenaissance
What does the word “Renaissance” bring to mind for you? Art, science, and culture of course! It was a "rebirth" and...Experience moreGothic
Gothic illumination is some of the most spectacular and iconic imagery of medieval art and first emerged in Northern...Experience morePrayer Books
Interested in a personal glimpse into the personality of a famous medieval figure? Prayer books were small codices...Experience more
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)