Western Manuscripts and Miniatures

Serenading a lovely maiden in the pasture, the shepherds are seemingly ignorant of the “annunciation” heralded by an angel in the sky.

166 × 113 mm. Single leaf, ruled in red ink for a single column of twenty lines (justification: 95 × 68 mm), written in a fine bâtarde script in dark brown ink, rubrics in red, two two-line initials in in gold on blue and red ground, one large three-line foliate initial in red and white ink on gold with floral infill, full panel borders on the recto composed of stylized blue and gold acanthus, trompe-l’oeil fruit and flowers, birds, and curling ivy, A FULL-PAGE MINIATURE of the Annunciation to the Shepherds, framed in a faux-arched gold frame, the scene shows a group of shepherds with a maiden and a small dog in the pasture, a craggy hillside with a city in the distance, verso with additional border of red and green floral sprays, acanthus, strawberries, and illuminated initials on gold grounds. Some rubbing to the outer edge and occasional flaking in the border paint; minor cockling; else in excellent condition, with colors and gold exceptionally vibrant.

This leaf exemplifies the lively pictorial style associated with the so-called Playfair Group, a circle of artists active in Rouen in the third quarter of the fifteenth century and closely related to the Master of the Rouen Échevinage. Characterized by luminous color, finely modeled figures, and delicate gold highlighting, their work reflects both native Norman traditions and Parisian influence, especially that of the Boucicaut and Bedford circles. The Master of the Rouen Échevinage (also known as the Master of the Geneva Latini), takes his name from the splendid manuscripts, mostly chronicles, he painted for the Bibliothèque des Echevins in Rouen, the public library assembled by the aldermen of the city. Largely responsible for Books of Hours, the related Playfair Group of illuminators was dubbed by Watson (1984) after the artist responsible for a Book of Hours in London (Victoria and Albert Museum, MS L. 475-1918). These illuminators dominated production in Rouen after the departure of the English in 1449 through the 1480s.

The present miniature depicts the Annunciation to the Shepherds (Luke 2:9–14), with the angel's appearance dramatized by radiant light and richly colored garments. The expressive shepherds, lively animals, and detailed landscape background are typical of the group’s narrative style. Seemingly unaware of the angel bearing a scroll to announce the birth of Christ, the shepherds serenade a lovely maiden in the pasture, while a dog sleeps in the foreground. The miniature introduces Sext from the Hours of the Virgin with an illuminated initial ‘D’ with floral decoration beginning: Deus in adiutorium meum intende.

Provenance
(1) Sotheby’s London, 17 June 1997, lot 79, the parent manuscript, a fragment of nineteen leaves.

(2) Charles Edwin Puckett, Akron, Ohio, inv. TG 8952.

(3) Private Collection, California, USA.

Sister leaves
Since the sale in 1997 of the parent manuscript, single leaves have surfaced: London, Maggs Bros, Christmas Catalogue 1262, 1998, no. 34, Presentation in the Temple; Sotheby’s London, 2 December 1997, 3 leaves with miniatures of the Visitation, Adoration of the Magi, and David and Nathan.

LITERATURE
Unpublished; on Rouen illumination, the Échevinage atelier, and the Playfair Group, see Rowan Watson, The Playfair Hours. A Late Fifteenth Century Illuminated Manuscript from Rouen (V & A, L. 475-1918). London, 1984; François Avril and Nicole Reynaud, Les Manuscrits à peintures en France 1440–1520, Paris, 1993, pp. 218–227; Kathleen Scott, Later Gothic Manuscripts: 1390–1490, London, 1996, vol. 2, pp. 244–248; Claudia Rabel in Les enluminures du Louvre, moyen âge et Renaissance, ed. François Avril, Nicole Reynaud and Dominique Cordellier, with Laura Angelucci and Roberta Serra, Paris, 2011, p. 208.

We thank Senior Consultant Sandra Hindman and Peter Bovenmyer for their assistance in preparing this sale and Elliot Adam for consultation on this entry.