Walters Ms. W.183, Book of Hours (Use of Rome)

W.183

Book of Hours (Use of Rome)

Book of Hours

This pocket-size Flemish Book of Hours was created in Bruges between 1460 and 1470. A heavy contingent of South Netherlandish saints in the litany helps localize its production. Although small in scale, it is notable for its abundance of illuminations, nearly thirty extant, by artists working in the style of the prolific mid-fifteenth-century Flemish illuminator Willem Vrelant. Three artists worked on this book. The best painted the full-page miniature of David Penitent on fol. 85v; an able artist painted the other two full-page miniatures; the historiated initials and minor decoration are routine. Several other Books of Hours in the Walters' collection are similar in style to this manuscript, exhibiting the characteristics of the Vrelant circle, notably W.177, W.179, and W.180.

Ca. 1460-70 CE

Bruges, Flanders

Supplied name: Circle of Willem Vrelant

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin.

Parchment

Light-weight calf, inserted illuminated leaves heavier; well prepared with satiny finish on flesh side; flyleaves laid paper, with front flyleaf i, r, and back flyleaf iii, v marbelized and facing matching pastedowns

Foliation: iii+131+iii

Third front flyleaf and first back flyleaf are parchment and have been foliated 1 and 132, respectively, but are not medieval; medieval codex begins with fol. 2; modern pencil foliation, upper-right corners, rectos; fols. 126-131, the end of the medieval codex, are blank, but have been foliated

Formula: Quire 1: 6 (fols. 2-7); Quire 2: 8, with eighth folio cancelled (fols. 8-14); Quire 3: 8, with the first folio and sixth folios originally added, and first folio now lacking (fols. 15-23); Quire 4: 8, with the first folio added (fols. 24-32); Quire 5: 8 (fols. 33-40); Quire 6: 2 (fols. 41-42); Quire 7: 8, with first folio added and later removed again (fols. 43-50); Quire 8: 6, with the first folio added (fols. 51-57); Quire 9: 8 (fols. 58-65); Quire 10: 6, with first folio added (fols. 66-72); Quire 11: 8 (fols. 73-80); Quire 12: 4 (fols. 81-84); Quire 13: 8, with first folio added (fols. 85-93); Quire 14: 6 (fols. 94-99); Quire 15: 8, with first folio added and later removed again (fols. 100-107); Quires 16-17: 8 (fols. 108-123); Quire 18: 10, with ninth and tenth folios cancelled (fols. 124-131)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: Signatures in faint brown ink sometimes visible at lower right, rectos, beginning on fol. 25r; modern pencil quire numbers at lower left, rectos (not always readily visible)

Comments: Some miniatures were inserted as per workshop practice, and some were removed again at a later time

6.8 cm wide by 10.2 cm high

3.8 cm wide by 6.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 23
3. Ruled in light-red ink; prick marks sometimes visible along fore-edge; layout does not apply to calendar: 3.8 cm x 5.9 cm (written surface), 3 columns, 17 lines

fols. 1r - 132v:

1. Title: Book of Hours
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Hand note: Compressed textura
4. Decoration note: Three full-page miniatures (three others now missing) by two different artists and inserted as singletons (3.7 x 6.3 cm), each with foliate margins on three sides and facing (or would have been facing) opening pages of text with matching foliate margins and large blue and rose floral initials against gold grounds (6-7 lines); four small miniatures and twenty-one historiated initials by a third artist (9 lines) with foliate margins above and below the textblock; smaller initials in gold against blue and rose grounds (2-4 lines) beginning each calendar page (KL) and also marking secondary text divisions; versals in alternating gold and blue (1 line); geometric line fillers in rose and blue (in litany only); rubrics and major feast days in rose; text in black ink

fols. 3r - 14v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Januarius .xxxi.
4. Contents: Calendar less than half full, graded in red and brown; contains a large number of Bruges saints; saints of note include: Adrian (Mar. 4), Thomas Aquinas (Mar. 7), Victor (Apr. 20), Quirinus (Apr. 30), Desiderius (May 23), Germanus (May 28), Anthony (June 13), Basil (June 14), Margaret (June 13), Gudula (July 6, Translation), Bernard (Aug. 20), Remigius and Bavo (Oct. 1), Walburga (Oct. 12, Translation), Donatian (Oct. 14), All Souls (Nov. 2), Daniel (Dec. 11)

fols. 15r - 18v:

1. Title: Hours of the Cross
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipiunt hore sancte crucis
4. Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
5. Decoration note: Large decorated initial, foliate margins with birds fol. 15r.

fols. 19v - 23v:

1. Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipiunt hore de sancto spiritu
4. Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 19r.

fols. 24v - 28r:

1. Title: Mass of the Virgin
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipit missa beate marie virginis
4. Incipit: Et introibo ad altare dei
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 24v; large decorated initial, foliate margins fol. 25r

fols. 28v - 32r:

1. Title: Gospel Lessons
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Initium sancti ewangelii secundum johannem Gloria tibi domine
4. Incipit: In principio erat verbum
5. Text note: Readings from the four Gospels: John 1:1-14, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 2:1-12, Mark 16:14-20
6. Decoration note: Three small miniatures fols. 28v, 29v, 31v; one historiated initial fol. 30v

fols. 33r - 35r:

1. Title: Obsecro te
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Oratio deuota de domina nostra
4. Incipit: Obsecro te domina sancta maria
5. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 33r.

fols. 35r - 36v:

1. Title: O intemerata
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Alia oracio deuota ad mariam virginem
4. Incipit: O intemerata et in eternum benedicta
5. Decoration note: Decorated initial fol. 35r

fols. 37r - 42v:

1. Title: Suffrages
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Memoria de sancto johanne baptista
4. Incipit: Inter natos mulierum non surrexit
5. Contents: Suffrages for saints: fol. 37r: John the Baptist, Inter natos mulierum non surrexit maior iohanne baptista; fol. 37v: Peter and Paul, Petrus apostolus et paulus doctor gentium; fol. 38r: Andrew, Andreas christi famulus dignus deo; fol. 38v: Lawrence, Laurencius homini opus operatus est; fol. 39r: Thomas Becket, Tu per thome sanguinem quem pro te impendit; fol. 39v: Nicholas, Beatus nycholaus ad huc puerulus multo ieiunio; fol. 40r: Mary Magdalene, Maria ergo unxit pedes ihesu et extersit capillis capitis sui; fol. 40v: Catherine, Virgo sancta katherina grecie gemma urbe allexandrina; fol. 41r: Margaret, Erat autem margareta annorum quindecim ab impio olibrio; fol. 41v: Barbara, O pulcra principium rosa dans odorem florent; fol. 42r: Apollonia, O sancta appollonia fuit milita que pro christi nomine dentes extracte; fol. 42v: Scholastica, Accinxit fortitudine lumbos suos et roborauit brachium suum
6. Decoration note: Small miniature fol. 37r; historiated initials fols. 37v, 38r-v, 39r-v, 40r-v, 41r-v, and 42r-v

fols. 43r - 77v:

1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipiunt hore beate marie virginis secundum consuetudinem romane ecclesie
4. Incipit: Domine labia mea aperies
5. Text note: Use of Rome
6. Decoration note: Full-page miniature missing at Matins, between fols. 42 and 43; historiated initials fols. 53v, 60r, 62v, 65r, 67v, 70r, and 74v

fols. 78r - 84v:

1. Title: Advent Office of the Virgin
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipit officium beate marie virginis que dicitur per totum aduentum ad vesperas
4. Incipit: Deus, in adiutorium meum intende
5. Decoration note: Historiated initial fol. 78r

fols. 85v - 92r:

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipiunt septem psalmi
4. Incipit: Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 85v; large decorated initial, foliate margins fol. 86r

fols. 92v - 99r:

1. Title: Litany, petitions, invocations, and collects
2. Rubric: Letania de omnibus sanctis
3. Incipit: Kyrie eleyson
4. Contents: Fols. 92v-94r: litany, notable for South Netherlandish representation; St. Edith, English saint, also noteworthy; seventeen apostles from Peter to Luke; twenty-six martyrs including Donatian, Lambert, Hubert, William, Dionysius, Maurice, Livin, Hippolytus; nineteen confessors including Erasmus, Eligius, Maurus, Isidore, Julianus, Gildard, Medard, Albinus; sixteen virgins including Amalberga, Soteris, Edith, Afra; fols. 94v-97r: petitions, invocations, and Psalm 69; fols. 97r-v: imprecations; fols 97v-99r: ten collects
5. Decoration note: Thirteen minor decorated initials

fols. 100r - 125v:

1. Title: Office of the Dead
2. Artist: Circle of Willem Vrelant
3. Rubric: Incipiunt vigilie mortuorum. ps. dd.
4. Incipit: Placebo. Dilexi quoniam
5. Contents: Use of Rome; fols. 103v-104r: four collects at the end of Vespers (second for female)
6. Decoration note: Full-page miniature missing between fols. 99 and 100; would have faced page with large decorated initial and foliate margins, fol. 100r

fol. 19v:

1. 
2. Title: Pentecost
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit

fol. 24v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ blessing the Virgin
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Mass of the Virgin

fol. 28v:

1. 
2. Title: St. John on Patmos
3. Form: Small miniature
4. Text: Gospel Lessons, Gospel reading John 1:1-14

fol. 29v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Luke writing
3. Form: Small miniature
4. Text: Gospel Lessons: Gospel reading Luke 1:26-38

fol. 30v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Matthew
3. Form: Historiated initial "C," 9 lines
4. Text: Gospel Lessons: Gospel reading Matthew 2:1-12

fol. 31v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Mark writing
3. Form: Small miniature
4. Text: Mass of the Virgin: Gospel reading Mark 16:14-20

fol. 33r:

1. 
2. Title: Pietà
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 9 lines
4. Text: Obsecro te

fol. 37r:

1. 
2. Title: St. John the Baptist
3. Form: Small miniature
4. Text: Suffrage for St. John the Baptist

fol. 37v:

1. 
2. Title: Sts. Peter and Paul
3. Form: Historiated initial "P," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for Sts. Peter and Paul

fol. 38r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Andrew
3. Form: Historiated initial "A," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Andrew

fol. 38v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Lawrence
3. Form: Historiated initial "L," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Lawrence

fol. 39r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Thomas Becket martyred
3. Form: Historiated initial "T," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Thomas Becket

fol. 39v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Nicholas resuscitates youths
3. Form: Historiated initial "B," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Nicholas

fol. 40r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Mary Magdalene
3. Form: Historiated initial "M," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Mary Magdalene

fol. 40v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Catherine
3. Form: Historiated initial "U," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Catherine

fol. 41r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Margaret issuing from a dragon
3. Form: Historiated initial "E," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Margaret

fol. 41v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Barbara
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Barbara

fol. 42r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Apollonia
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Apollonia

fol. 42v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Scholastica
3. Form: Historiated initial "A," 9 lines
4. Text: Suffrage for St. Scholastica

fol. 53v:

1. 
2. Title: Visitation
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Lauds

fol. 60r:

1. 
2. Title: Nativity-Adoration
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Prime

fol. 62v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation to the shepherds
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Terce

fol. 65r:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Sext

fol. 67v:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the temple
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: None

fol. 70r:

1. 
2. Title: Massacre of an innocent
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Vespers

fol. 74v:

1. 
2. Title: Flight into Egypt
3. Form: Historiated initial "C," 9 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Compline

fol. 78r:

1. 
2. Title: Coronation of the Virgin by an angel before God-Father
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 9 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin

fol. 85v:

1. 
2. Title: David penitent
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Penitential Psalms

The binding is not original.

Rebound in France, ca. 1820; black straight-grain goatskin, blind-tooled foliate, rope, and geometric patterns; gold-tooled framing fillets on outer boards, and Greek key designs on turn-ins; marbelized pastedowns; spine inscribed in gold amid three wreaths: HEURES/SUR/VELIN; pink and white silk endbands and pink ribbon marker; housed within a black telescopic case inscribed HEURES in gold

Made in Bruges, ca. 1460-70, for the Use of Rome, in the circle of Willem Vrelant; many South Netherlandish, and some English, saints in the suffrages and litany

De Traysy, seventeenth-century ex libris (fol. 126r)

Lauora, or Lauorci, eighteenth-century(?) inscription (fol. 131r), now erased

Henry Walters, Baltimore, between 1895 and 1931, by purchase

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935, p. 797, cat. no. 254.

Bowles, E. A. "A Checklist of Musical Instruments in Fifteenth-Century Illuminated Manuscripts at the Walters Art Gallery." Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, 32/4 (1976): 719-726; p. 723.

Owens, M. B. Musical Subjects in the Illumination of Books of Hours from Fifteenth-Century France and Flanders. PhD diss., University of Chicago, 1987, p. 394.

Randall, Lilian M.C. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Vol. 3, Belgium 1250-1530. Baltimore and London: Walters Art Gallery, 1997, Part 1, pp. 278-282, cat. no. 255.

Bousmanne, Bernard. "Item a Guillaume Wyelant aussi enlumineur:" Willem Vrelant: un aspect de l'enluminure dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux sous le mécénat des ducs de Bourgogne Philippe le Bon et Charles le Téméraire. Bibliothèque royale de Belgique; Turnhout: Brepols, 1997, p. 229.

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Catalogers: Herbert, Lynley; Randall, Lilian M.C.

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Dennis, Nathan S; Emery, Doug; Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Wiegand, Kimber

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.