A richly ornamented Parisian Book of Hours with miniatures restored by a modern hand.

i (paper) + 148 + ii (paper) leaves, foliated in a modern hand in pencil 1–148, fractionally cropped at top, lacking single leaves after ff. 102, 134, and 144 else complete [collation: i12, ii8, iii8, iv8+1, v8, vi8, vii8, viii8, ix8, x6, xi8, xii8, xiii8-1, xiv6, xv8, xvi8, xvii8-1, xviii8, xix6-1] ruled in red ink in one column of 14 lines (justification: 79 mm × 55 mm), written in gothic textualis script with additions to ff. 142–143 in a loose humanist cursive, rubrics in red, line fillers in red and blue with gold bezants, capitals of one and thwo lines in gold on alternating red and blue ground with white filagree, TEN ILLUMINATED INITIALS of four lines in red and blue ink on gold ground with acanthus infill, these accompanied by three–quarters strewn boards composed of acanthus sprays, flowers, and scattered fauna on a stippled ground, 5 HALF-PAGE MINIATURES in gold arched top frames, accompanied by three-line illuminated initials in red and blue penwork on gold ground, all framed by full strewn borders with alternating blue and red bands embellished with geometric penwork, densely stippled, with flowers, fruit, and acanthus sprays. Eighteenth-century French full red morocco, ruled with triple gild fillets and small corner bosses, spine divided into compartments with gilt floral ornaments and letters “HEURES,” marbled endpapers, edges gilt, heavy modern overpainting to miniatures obscuring original designs, stains and soiling are present throughout, with noticeable darkening especially at the opening and closing leaves, occasional ink smudging affecting text, and minor cockling is evident, otherwise in good condition. Dimensions 133 mm × 112 mm.

Provenance
(1) Nineteenth-Century dealer descriptions on front flyleaf “5 min. et 136 feuilles et 12 feuilles calendrier.”

(2) Swann Gallery, purchased 17 November 1988.

(3) Collection of Dr. Scott Schwartz, New York, his bookplate and catalog number “MS 33” on front pastedown.

Text
ff. 1–12, Calendar (Use of Paris); ff. 13–18, Gospel Readings (ff. 13–14v, John; 14v–15v, Luke; ff. 16–17, Matthew; ff. 17v–18, Luke); ff. 18v–22, Obsecro te (famulo tuo); ff. 22–25v, O intemerata (famulum tuum); ff. 26–79v, Hours of the Virgin (ff. 26–37, Matins; ff. 37v–49, Lauds; ff. 49v–55, Prime; ff. 55v–59v, Terce; ff. 59v–63v, Sext; ff. 64–67v, None; ff. 68–74v, Vespers; ff. 74v–79v, Compline); ff. 80–93, Penitential Psalms; ff. 93–98v, Litanies; ff. 99–102v, Hours of the Cross; ff. 103–105, Hours of the Holy Spirit (beginning imperfectly); ff. 105v–134v, Office of the Dead (ending imperfectly); ff. 135–138v, Fifteen Joys of the Virgin (in French; beginning imperfectly); ff. 139–142, The Seven Requests to Our Lord (in French); ff. 142–143v, Votive Prayers for Crises (drought, famine, plague, war; sixteenth-century addition); ff. 144–148, Prayers to the Virgin (in Latin and French; beginning imperfectly).

Illumination
The miniatures in this Book of Hours have been extensively reworked by a later hand, with a thickly applied modern paint layer that obscures much of their original fifteenth-century appearance. This intervention likely explains certain unusual aspects of the iconography, most notably the Crucifixion scene, in which Saint John the Evangelist turns his face away from Christ. Beneath these later additions, the compositions and underlying models appear consistent with Parisian manuscript illumination of the mid-fifteenth century. However, the present surface, with its heavy modeling of the faces, saturated backgrounds, and unusually volumetric drapery forms, appears to reflect the intervention of the later painter or restorer, whose treatment seems to emulate aspects of later French painting, particularly the sculptural forms and courtly elegance associated with the work of Jean Fouquet. Although the original artistic personality is now difficult to identify, the later painter worked with skill, and the miniatures retain decorative appeal and charm.

The manuscript itself, including the text and secondary decoration, appears entirely genuine and belongs to Parisian production of the mid-fifteenth century. This localization is supported by the complete Calendar for the Use of Paris, as well as the manuscript’s decorative program, including ten illuminated initials executed in a characteristic Parisian manner, with blue grounds, burnished gold fields, and colored acanthus ornament, as well as partially panneled borders accompanied by scrolling acanthus and fruits. Interesting too is the sequence of additional devotional texts added at the end of the manuscript in a set of slightly later hands. These include the Quinze joies de la Vierge (Fifteen Joys of the Virgin, in French, beginning imperfectly), the Sept requêtes à Notre Seigneur (Seven Requests to Our Lord, in French; ff. 139–142) all in French in a late fifteenth century script, and a noteworthy series of sixteenth-century votive prayers intended for moments of communal crisis, including drought, famine, plague, and war (ff. 142–143v). These additions demonstrate the continued devotional use and adaptation of the manuscript beyond its original production.

The subjects of the five miniatures are: f. 13, Saint John with Eagle writing on a scroll on the Island of Patmos (for Gospel Readings); f. 25, Annunciation with Mary under Baldechin, Gabrial with scroll (“Ave Gracia”), God the Father in starry mandorla, and Dove descending on rays of light (for Hours of the Virgin); f. 80, David Penitent with crown and harp, God the Father in a starry mandorla with walled city in background (for Penitential Psalms); f. 99, Crucifixion with Virgin and John the Baptist and walled city in background (for Hours of the Cross); f. 105v, Funeral scene with Priest blessing, funeral procession, and shrouded corpse being laid to rest in a cemetery (for Office of the Dead). 

LITERATURE
Unpublished; Related literature: Charles Sterling, La peinture médiévale à Paris, 1300–1500, 2 vols., Paris, 1987–1990; François Avril and Nicole Reynaud, Les manuscrits à peintures en France, 1440–1520, Paris, 1993; Rouse, Richard H. Rouse and Mary A. Rouse, Manuscripts and Their Makers: Commercial Book Producers in Medieval Paris, 1200–1500, 2 vols., 2000.

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

Collection of Dr. Scott Schwartz