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Book of Hours

Artist (French, c. 1457–1521)
Datec. 1490
MediumTempera, shell gold, and ink on vellum
DimensionsBook closed: 6 15/16 × 4 3/8 × 1 3/16 inches (17.62 × 11.11 × 3.02 cm)
Sheet - Each Leaf (page): 6 9/16 × 4 1/4 inches (16.67 × 10.8 cm)
Old Green Leather Carrying Case: 8 × 5 3/4 × 1 1/2 inches (20.32 × 14.61 × 3.81 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1993.2.1
Collections
  • MEDIEVAL
  • PROVENANCE RESEARCH
Label TextFrom (Un)Natural: Constructed Environments 9/23
It is surprising that the borders of this prayer book, which was made for a wealthy woman, are decorated with fantastical images of hairy wild men. A lone wild man clutching the hooked staff of a Christian bishop or abbot appears lost in thought at the page’s right edge, a reference to saints who lived in the wilderness to avoid the temptations of society. Along the page’s bottom edge, in contrast, more wild men battle a knight on horseback. Though scenes such as this one are common in courtly literature recounting the adventures of noble knights, the presence of a war elephant, associated during the Middle Ages with the Middle East, emphasizes the wild men’s foreign origins. In contrast to the holy hermit, here, the artist conflates cultural otherness with wildness to visualize the inhabitants of the unexplored wilderness.

The book of hours, the best seller of the late Middle Ages, was a private book used for daily devotions mainly by lay women and men. The text was adapted from the Psalter and the Breviary (the service book for the Divine Office). Its great popularity reflected people's desire for a more direct and intimate relationship with God, without the mediation of clergy. In the 14th century, illustrated Books of Hours were commissioned by nobles and aristocrats and were produced by lay workshops headed by celebrated painters. By the 15th century, book dealers and lay workshops supplied the growing demand of affluent townspeople. A Book of Hours was more than a compendium of prayers and devotional images, however. It provided its owner with a luxury object that expressed social status, it sometimes humorous illustrations entertained the user, and it served as a family reader used by mothers to educate their daughters.

This book displays the luminous colors and rich details for which medieval books are famous. It contains 13 miniature paintings depicting the Life of the Virgin and Infancy of Christ, the Crucifixion, the torments of Hell, a fully illustrated calendar with Labors of the Months and Zodiac imagery, and 13 historiated initials. Explore the website featuring the Book of Hours. This site offers curatorial annotations and the ability to zoom into pages and see their beautiful illustrations up close.



ProvenancePurchased December 7, 1992 through (Sotheby's London, lot 68) by (Sam Fogg, London); purchased 2003 through (Sam Fogg, London) by Duke University Museum of Art, now Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.