Western Manuscripts and Miniatures

Fine illuminated text leaves with lavish borders typical of Rouen illumination in the third quarter of the fifteenth century.

Dimensions: 163 × 117 mm. A bifolium and two single leaves, ruled in red ink for seventeen lines of text (justification: 101 × 63 mm), written in a fine gothic bookhand in dark brown ink, line-fillers in red, blue, and white on burnished gold; initials of one and two lines in gold on blue and burgundy grounds with fine white penwork, three-line initials in blue with pen details on gold ground with acanthus infills, each leaf with full or partial borders of acanthus, fruit, and flowers in red, blue, green, and liquid gold. Minor pigment loss and staining, generally in excellent condition with vivid palette and gold retention.

These leaves are 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.

Three leaves from the same parent manuscript—a bifolium and two single leaves—illuminated in the refined and vibrant Rouen style associated with the Master of the Rouen Échevinage and his circle, commonly referred to as the Playfair Group. The leaves contain portions of Psalms and prayers from the Hours of the Virgin, as well as vernacular Marian devotions. All are richly decorated with floral borders and initials in gold and colors. They derive from a Book of Hours for the Use of Rouen, one of the most popular liturgical Uses in northern France in the fifteenth century. The Échevinage atelier is known for combining Parisian elegance with Norman ornamental vigor. The related artists of the Playfair Group, often working in association with the Rouen Échevinage Master, produced richly decorated manuscripts for the local nobility and ecclesiastical elite. Their work is noted for its luminous color, delicately modeled figures, and decorative luxury, influenced by both Parisian and Flemish models.

The bifolium opens with a three-line illuminated ‘D’ on gold ground with infills of coiling acanthus beginning Matins for the hours of the Virgin: Deus in adiutorium meum intende. The second leaf contains additional passages from Matins, while the third leaf includes a French vernacular prayer to the Virgin, including Douce dame, typically included toward the end of the hours for private devotion.

Provenance
(1) Dealer inventory numbers: 16580, 16585, and 16558 in modern pencil in lower right margins.

(2) Private Collection, California, USA.

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.