Walters Ms. W.196, Book of Hours

W.196

Book of Hours

Book of Hours

This Book of Hours illuminated ca. 1470 contains stunning examples of full-page miniatures in the style of Willem Vrelant, most likely originating in Bruges. Given that several prayer cycles contain indications of a female suppliant, as well as a majority female saints in the litany, the book was either owned or co-owned by a woman. The artist or artists have chosen to alternate between color and near-grisaille miniatures throughout the text and the calendar, making for a strikingly varied program of images.

Ca. 1470 CE

Bruges

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin.

Parchment

Medium weight, well selected and prepared

Foliation: ii+187

Modern pencil foliation upper right corners, rectos

Formula: Formula difficult to determine due to numerous added folios, some of which were added and then subsequently removed

Catchwords: Vertical in the lower right spine edge, difficult to see

Comments:

12.7 cm wide by 19.6 cm high

5.9 cm wide by 9.2 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 21
3. Layout does not apply to calendar, which has 4 columns

fols. 1r - 187v:

1. Title: Book of Hours
2. Hand note: Written in rounded textura
3. Decoration note: Twenty-four extant full-page miniatures inalternating color and semi-grisaille; nine historiated initials (7-8 lines); twenty-four calendar illustrations, including images for zodiac and labors of the month; large decorated initials opposite miniatures or where miniatures originally were (4-7 lines); smaller decorated initials at secondary text divisions (2-3 lines); decorated KL in calendar (5 lines); small gold and blue initials flourished in black and red for versals (1 line); foliate borders on pages with major illuminated images or initials; line fillers throughout in gold and blue geometric designs; rubrics in rose; text in dark brown ink

fols. 1v - 13v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Incipit: Januarius habet dies xxxi. luna vero xxx
3. Contents: One third to half filled, graded in rose and dark brown ink; composite contents including Bruges, French, and Mosan as well as an interest in both Augustinian-hermit and Franciscan saints; of note are Adrian (Mar. 4), Sixtus I (Apr. 9), Anicetus (Apr. 17), Quirinus (Apr. 30), Bernardinus (May 20), Francis (May 25), Eleutherius (May 26), Pope John I (May 27), Marcellinus (June 1), Paulinus (June 22), Visitation (July 2), Margaret (July 20), Virgin of the Snow and Dominic (Aug. 5), Clare (Aug. 12), Bernard (Aug. 20), Louis of France (Aug. 25), Pope Linus (Sept. 23), Remigius (Oct. 1), Francis (Oct. 4), Chrysanthus and Daria (Oct. 25), All Saints (Nov. 1), Commemoration of souls (Nov. 2), Leonard (Nov. 6), Cunibert (Nov. 12), Peter of Alexandria (Nov. 26)
4. Decoration note: Labors of the months and zodiac appear in roundels within the lower floral borders

fols. 14r - 26v:

1. Title: Hours of the Cross
2. Rubric: Incipit officium sancte crucis. ad matutinas
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Six full-page miniatures alternating between colored and near grisailles, fols. 14v, 16v, 18v, 20v, 23v, and 25v

fols. 27v - 39v:

1. Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Incipiunt hore de sancto spiriti
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Six full-page miniatures alternating between colored and near grisailles, fols. 27v, 30v, 32v, 34v, 36v, and 38v

fols. 40r - 43v:

1. Title: Mass of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Incipit missa beata virgine maria
3. Incipit: Et introibo ad altare dei
4. Decoration note: Decorated initial on fol. 40r

fols. 44v - 51v:

1. Title: Gospel Sequences
2. Rubric: Inicium sancti euuangelii secundum iohannem. Gloria tibi domine
3. Incipit: In principio erat verbum
4. Contents: Fols. 44v-45v: John 1.1-14; fols. 46v-47v: Luke 1.26-38; fols. 48v-49v: Matthew 2.1-12; fols. 50v-51v: Mark 16.14-20
5. Decoration note: Four full-page miniatures alternating between colored and near grisailles, fols. 44v, 46v, 48v, and 50v

fols. 52r - 55v:

1. Title: Two Prayers to the Virgin
2. Rubric: Oratio devota ad virginem mariam
3. Incipit: Obsecro te
4. Contents: Fols. 52r-54r: Obsecro te; fols. 54r-55v: O intemerata

fols. 56r - 92v:

1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Incipit officium beate marie virginis secundum usum romanum. ad matutinas
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Contents: Use of Rome; incomplete, with some text for Lauds missing after fol. 73, and Prime and Terce missing after fol. 74
5. Decoration note: Four full-page miniatures alternating between colored and near grisailles, fols. 68v, 78v, 82v, and 88v

fols. 93v - 137v:

1. Title: Three Offices of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Incipit officium gloriosissime marie virginis quod dicitur per totum adventum
3. Incipit: Deus in adiutorium meum
4. Contents: Fols. 94r-129r: Advent Hours of the Virgin; fols. 129r-134r: Advent Mass of the Virgin; fols. 134r-137v: Hours of the Conception of the Virgin
5. Decoration note: One full-page miniature on fol. 93v; Nine historiated initials on fols. 98v, 101r, 113r, 119v, 122r, 124v, 126v, 129r, and 134r

fols. 138v - 142v:

1. Title: Prayer Lamenting Sorrow of the Virgin by the Cross
2. Incipit: Stabat mater dolorosa
3. Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 138v

fols. 144r - 151r:

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
2. Rubric: Incipiunt septem psalmi penitenciales. Antiphona
3. Incipit: Domine ne in furore tuo
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 143v

fols. 151r - 157v:

1. Title: Litany, petitions, collects
2. Incipit: Kyrieleison"
3. Contents: Fols. 151r-157r: for use of Rome with a Franciscan interest, primarily female saints; of note: sixteen apostles/evangelists/ disciples Peter to Mark; eight martyrs and bishops/confessors/doctors including Nicholas, Louis; five monks/hermits/priests/levites including Francis, Benedict, Anthony, Bernardinus, Eleazar; twelve virgins/widows including Mary Magdalene, Anne, Agnes, Clare, and Monica; fols. 153r-155v: petitions and invocations; fols. ten collects, notably the fifth one is for the king

fols. 158v - 185r:

1. Title: Office of the Dead
2. Rubric: Incipiunt vigilie mortuorum. antiphona
3. Incipit: Placebo domino. Dilexi qui exaudiet
4. Contents: Use of Rome
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature on fol. 158v

fol. 1v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man by Fire
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: January

fol. 2r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Aquarius
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: January

fol. 2v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Pruning
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: February

fol. 3r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Pisces
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: February

fol. 3v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Spading
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: March

fol. 4r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Aries
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: March

fol. 4v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Carrying Branch
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: April

fol. 5r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Taurus
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: April

fol. 5v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Falconing
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: May

fol. 6r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Gemini
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: May

fol. 6v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Scything
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: June

fol. 7r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Cancer
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: June

fol. 7v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Reaping
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: July

fol. 8r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Leo
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: July

fol. 8v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Threshing
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: August

fol. 9r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Virgo
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: August

fol. 9v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Trampling Grapes
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: September

fol. 10r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Libra
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: September

fol. 10v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Knocking Acorns
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: October

fol. 11r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Scorpio
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: October

fol. 11v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Sowing
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: November

fol. 12r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Sagittarius
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: November

fol. 12v:

1. 
2. Title: Labors of the Months: Man Killing Ox
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: December

fol. 13r:

1. 
2. Title: Zodiac: Capricorn
3. Form: Border Illumination
4. Text: Calendar: December

fol. 14v:

1. 
2. Title: Betrayal
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Matins

fol. 16v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Before Pilate
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Prime

fol. 18v:

1. 
2. Title: Flagellation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Terce

fol. 20v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ carrying the Cross
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Sext

fol. 23v:

1. 
2. Title: Deposition
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Vespers

fol. 25v:

1. 
2. Title: Entombment
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Cross: Compline

fol. 27v:

1. 
2. Title: David in Prayer
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: Matins

fol. 30v:

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

fol. 32v:

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

fol. 34v:

1. 
2. Title: SS Peter and John bestow the Holy Spirit on people of Samaria
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: None

fol. 36v:

1. 
2. Title: Resurrected Christ with Apostles
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Holy Spirit: Vespers

fol. 38v:

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

fol. 44v:

1. 
2. Title: St. John Evangelist
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Gospel Sequences: John

fol. 46v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Luke
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Gospel Sequences: Luke

fol. 48v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Matthew
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Gospel Sequences: Matthew

fol. 50v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Mark
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Gospel Sequences: Mark

fol. 68v:

1. 
2. Title: Visitation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Lauds

fol. 78v:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the Temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: None

fol. 82v:

1. 
2. Title: Massacre of the Innocents
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Vespers

fol. 88v:

1. 
2. Title: Flight into Egypt
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Compline

fol. 93v:

1. 
2. Title: Joachim Cast Out of the Temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin

fol. 98v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation to Joachim
3. Form: Historiated Initial "C," 7 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Compline

fol. 101r:

1. 
2. Title: Meeting at the Golden Gate
3. Form: Historiated Initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Matins

fol. 113r:

1. 
2. Title: Nativity of the Virgin
3. Form: Historiated Initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Lauds

fol. 119v:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation of the Virgin
3. Form: Historiated Initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Prime

fol. 122r:

1. 
2. Title: Marriage of the Virgin
3. Form: Historiated Initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Terce

fol. 124v:

1. 
2. Title: Death of the Virgin
3. Form: Historiated Initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: Sext

fol. 126v:

1. 
2. Title: Coronation of the Virgin
3. Form: Historiated initial "D," 8 lines
4. Text: Advent Office of the Virgin: None

fol. 129r:

1. 
2. Title: Emperor Augustus and the Tiburtine Sibyl
3. Form: Historiated initial "R," 7 lines
4. Text: Advent Mass of the Virgin

fol. 134r:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin of the Apocalypse
3. Form: Historiated initial "R," 7 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Conception of the Virgin

fol. 138v:

1. 
2. Title: Pieta
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Prayer: Stabat mater

fol. 143v:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Seven penitential psalms

fol. 158v:

1. 
2. Title: Raising of Lazarus
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Office of the Dead

The binding is original.

Produced in Belgium by Johannes de Lende who was active between 1459 and 1493 CE; brown leather with oak boards, design divided into four panels with inscription running around the outside of each, they read "ob laudem xristi librum hunc recte ligaui Iohannes de lende"; similar design on lower board except the inscription there reads "ora pro nobis sancta dei genitrix ut digni efficiamur promis sione xristi"

Completed in Bruges, likely for a woman, ca. 1470

Likely owned by Queen Eleanor of Portugal (1458-1525), based on Portuguese ownership inscription on front pastedown: "Este libro foi da rainha/dona lianor nao se po/ de dar de fora so pe/na de escommunhao"

Ownership by a cleric from Santiago suggested by an inscription added on front pastedown by 1600: "Fr. Luis de S[an]tiago"

Léon Gruel, Paris, late nineteenth or early twentieth century; modern pencil inscriptions on front pastedown read "Add. Ms. 12" and "N 815"; same numbers occur on Gruel's handwritten sales slip

Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased from Gruel between 1895 and 1931

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

De Ricci, Seymour, and W. J. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935; p. 800, cat. no. 274.

Bowles, Edmund A. "A Checklist of Musical Instruments in Fifteenth Century Illuminated Manuscripts at the Walters Art Gallery." Music Library Association 32 (1976): 719-726; pp. 722-725.

Owens, M.B. "Musical Subjects in the Illumination of Books of Hours from Fifteenth-Century France and Flanders." Ph.D. diss, University of Chicago, 1987; p. 401 (fig. 13).

Wieck, Roger Seymour. Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life. Exhibition Catalogue. Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery. NY: George Braiziller, 1988; pp. 30, 50, 92, 182, 213; cat. no. 94, fig. 58.

Maggs Brothers. European Bulletin no. 20. London, 1995; ref. under no. 15.

Randall, Lilian M. C. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Vol. 3, Belgium, 1250-1530. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press in association with the Walters Art Gallery, 1997; pp. 318-326, cat. no. 264.

Sotheby's. Western Manuscripts. London, July 5, 2005; ref. under lot 98 ("The Derval Hours, In Latin and French, Illuminated Manuscript on Vellum").

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Cataloger: Shartrand, Emily

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Brown, Emily; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Schuele, Allyson; 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.