Walters Ms. W.433, Book of Hours of the family de la Porte

W.433

Book of Hours of the family de la Porte

Book of Hours

This Book of Hours for Use of Rome was created by one of the followers of the Master of the Prayerbooks of Bruges ca. 1510. In 1577, it was acquired by Charles de la Porte, who commissioned its rebinding, and had the armorial shield of his family added to a decorated initial on fol. 136r. While the manuscript's illuminations are relatively spare in their renderings, they include a number of unusual details. The margins of the Crucifixion (fols. 17v-18r) and the beginning of the Devotional Sequence (fol. 140r) contain segmented borders divided by red and white tree trunks with peeling or "bleeding" bark, thus unifying the two sets of prayer. Also of note is the miniature depicting Pentecost, where Mary is shown kneeling in prayer. Decorated initials are present throughout the manuscript. This manuscript appears to have been used infrequently by its original owner, with limited dirt and wear on most of the pages.

Ca. 1510 CE

Flanders

Supplied name: Follower of Master of the Prayerbooks ca. 1500

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin.

Parchment

Thin parchment; heavier parchment for illuminated leaves

Foliation: 153

Early pencil foliation, lower right corners rectos, first fourteen pages only; modern pencil foliation, upper right corners rectos (used here)

Formula: Quire 1: 2 (first of bifoliate as front pastedown-fol. 1); Quire 2: 8 (fols. 2-9); Quire 3: 6 (fols. 10-15); Quire 4: 8, with first folio added and later removed (fols. 16-23); Quire 5: 8, with fifth folio added (fols. 24-32); Quire 6: 8, with fourth folio added and later removed (fols. 33-40); Quire 7: 8, with eighth folio added (fols. 41-49); Quires 8-14: 8 (fols. 50-105); Quire 15: 10 (fols. 106-115); Quire 16: 8, with first folio added (fols. 116-124); Quire 17: 8 (fols. 125-132); Quire 18: 8, with third folio added, eighth folio cancelled (fols. 133-140); Quire 19: 8 (fols. 141-148); Quire 20: 6, with last folio forming back pastedown (fols. 149-153)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments:

9.3 cm wide by 12.7 cm high

5.2 cm wide by 7.3 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 15
3. Layout does not apply to calendar: written surface 5.3 x 8.4 cm, 4 columns, 17 lines

fols. 1r - 153v:

1. Title: Book of Hours
2. Hand note: Littera batarda
3. Decoration note: Five full-page miniatures; seven small miniatures (8 lines); illuminated margins around incipit pages for texts, with illusionistic architecture, flora and fauna, and jewels; large decorated initials introduce major texts (5 lines); small initials at secondary text divisions (2 lines); small decorated initials for versals (1 line); alternating red and orange line fillers in litany with gold foliate decoration; rubrics in dark red; text in black ink

fols. 3r - 14v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Rubric: Januarius. xxxi. Luna. xxx.
3. Contents: Calendar less than half full; graded in red and black; notable saints include Quintinus (Mar. 29), Euphemia (Apr. 7), Helen matron ("Helene Regine," Apr. 15), Sigismund (Apr. 30), Francis (Translation, May 25), Rufina (Jul. 10), Eugene (Translation, Sep. 6), Victor (Sep. 18), Francis (Oct. 4), Eligius (Dec. 1), Gratianus (Dec. 18)

fols. 16r - 17r:

1. Title: Suffrage to the Holy Face
2. Rubric: Oratio ante faciem domini nostri.
3. Incipit: Salve sancta facies nostri redemptoris

fols. 17v - 27r:

1. Title: Hours of the Cross
2. Rubric: Incipiunt hore de sancta cruce
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 17v

fols. 28r - 35r:

1. Title: Hours of the Holy Spirit
2. Rubric: Incipiunt hore de sancto spiritu
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 28v

fols. 36r - 47v:

1. Title: Gospel Sequence of the Passion according to St. John
2. Rubric: Passio domini nostri Ihesu Xpristi
3. Incipit: Egressus est Dominus Ihesus
4. Decoration note: Decorated border on opening folio

fols. 48v - 114v:

1. Title: Hours of the Virgin
2. Rubric: Incipiunt hore beate marie.
3. Incipit: Domine labia mea
4. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 48v; six small miniatures (8 lines) fols. 82r, 87r, 92r, 97r, 101r, and 109r

fols. 116v - 134v:

1. Title: Seven Penitential Psalms
2. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 116v

fols. 128v - 134v:

1. Title: Litany, petitions, and five collects
2. Rubric: Litanie
3. Incipit: Kyrie eleison
4. Contents: Fols. 128v-131v: Litany: saints of note include Nicasius, Dionysius "cum soccis tuis" ("with companions"); Gervasius and Prothasius; Remigius, Francis, Bernard, Nicholas, Martin, Anthony, Claudius, Dominic, Hilary; Mary Magdalene, Mary Egyptian, Catherine, Margaret, Barbara, Apollonia, Cecilia, Agnes, Lucy, Geneviève, and Opportuna; fols. 131v-133v: Petitions and invocations; fols. 133v-134v: Five collects

fols. 135v - 148v:

1. Title: Devotional sequence focused on the Virgin
2. Rubric: Oratio de beate marie virgine
3. Incipit: Obsecro te domina sancta
4. Contents: Fols. 135v-144r: Prayers of the Virgin ("Oratio de beate marie virgine" and "Oratio ad beatam virginem mariam"); fols. 145r-147r: Prayer lamenting sorrow of Virgin by the Cross ("Oratio de doloris beate marie"); fols. 147r-v: Indulgence of Pope Julius II ("Testamentum Julii pape secundi ad pulsum pacis. Octoginta milia annorum de quo vere extant bulle"); fols. 148r-148v: Prayer on the Seven Corporeal Joys of the Virgin, rhyming ("Oratio de septem gaudiis beate marie virginis corporalibus"); Group of three short prayers to the Virgin centers on peace, each concluding with "Ave maria"; this section also includes an Indulgence granted for 80,000 years as reward for declamation, ascribed to Pope Julius II (1503-1513) in the heading (see rubric for this section)
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 135v; small miniature (8 lines) fol. 140r

fol. 16r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "S" (Salve)
3. Form: Decorated initial "S," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Suffrage to the Holy Face

fol. 17v:

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

fol. 18r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "D" (Domine)
3. Form: Decorated initial "D," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Hours of the Cross

fol. 28v:

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

   In the margin at the upper left corner of the page, there is an inscription that appears in a small frame, which reads "Salvator" (Savior), complementing the inscription of "Salvator mundi" (Savior of the World) within a curled scroll in the margin at the base of the page.

fol. 29r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "D" (Domine)
3. Form: Decorated initial "D," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Hours of the Holy Sprit
5. Comment:

   The inscription on the scroll at the bottom of the page reads "Veni sancte sancte."

fol. 48v:

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

fol. 49r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "D" (Domine)
3. Form: Decorated initial "D," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Matins

fol. 82r:

1. 
2. Title: Holy Family
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Prime

fol. 87r:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation to the Shepherds
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Terce

fol. 92r:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Sext

fol. 97r:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the Temple
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: None

fol. 101r:

1. 
2. Title: Massacre of the Innocents
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Hours of the Virgin: Vespers

fol. 109r:

1. 
2. Title: Flight into Egypt; Fall of Idol
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Book of Hours: Compline

fol. 116v:

1. 
2. Title: King David in prayer
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Seven Penitential Psalms

fol. 117r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "D" (Domine)
3. Form: Decorated initial "D," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Seven Penitential Psalms

fol. 135v:

1. 
2. Title: Angels in reverence of Virgin and Child
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Devotional sequence: Obsecro te

fol. 136r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "O" (Obsecro te)
3. Form: Decorated initial "O," 5 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Devotional sequence: Obsecro te

fol. 140r:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin of the Sun on crescent moon
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines
4. Text: Devotional sequence: "O intemerata"

fol. 145r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "S" (Stabat mater)
3. Form: Decorated initial "S," 6 lines, with marginal illumination
4. Text: Devotional sequence: Sorrow of the Virgin by the Cross

The binding is not original.

Bound in sixteenth century in eastern France; dark brown calf; gold blocked and tooled, with central oval composed of wreath and foliated scrolls, with similar design on both front and back cover; spine contains gold-tooled inscription: "ANNO / CAROLUS / *DE*LA* / PORTE / SIT. VITA COMOE / DIA / 1577" (Let life be a comedy)

Created ca. 1510 by artist working in the Ghent-Bruges style of the Master of the Prayerbooks

Charles de la Porte, Artois and Picardy, his name and date, 1577, recorded on binding; armorial of de la Porte family likely added at this time on fol. 136r

Appears to have been sold to unknown buyer in seventeenth century; inscription of that period on back pastedown records cost of forty guilders and praise of illuminations in Dutch: "40 Gl Seer heerlyke Tykeninge"

Unknown owner ca. 1900; pencil inscription in Dutch on fol. 153r: "Wie oudheid minnaar is komt hier dit boekje kopen het schijnt slechts prulijen [?] maar... [?] doer het open"

Gruel and Engelmann collection, Paris, late nineteenth or early twentieth century; their bookplate on front pastedown inscribed "No. 67"

Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchase from Gruel and Engelmann before 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. 810, cat. no. 330.

Bowles, Edmund A. "A Checklist of Musical Instruments in Fifteenth Century Illuminated Manuscripts at the Walters Art Gallery." Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association 32, no. 4 (1976): 719-726; pp. 721, 723.

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. 474.

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. 504-509, cat. no. 294.

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Catalogers: Herbert, Lynley; Mergen, Christopher

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bucca, Lauren; Emery, Doug; Herbold, Rebekah; Noel, William; Schuele, Allyson; Sedovic, Katherine; 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.