Walters Ms. W.438, Prayer Book (Use of Rome)

W.438

Prayer Book (Use of Rome)

Prayer Book

This late fifteenth-century Prayer Book was made for the Use of Rome and illuminated by followers of Willem Vrelant of Bruges. The manuscript was probably created for the couple depicted in two full-page miniatures (fols. 13v and 103r). The representation of the bride in the full-page miniatures, as well as references to her in suppliant prayers, indicates that the manuscript was commissioned primarily for the bride’s use. Further evidence of this is the prominence of women throughout the illuminations and drolleries, from one who was caught in adultery being brought before Christ, to Veronica extending her veil to Christ as he carries the cross. The decorative aspects of the manuscript stray from the typical border designs of this time period, focusing more on illusionistic Ghent-Bruges’ illumination (post-1475) and less on the Vrelant acanthus-floral borders. Among the number of full-page miniatures, fol. 229v stands out as an exceptional example of an imitation of a late fifteenth-century panel painting.

Ca. 1480-1490 CE

Bruges or Ghent, Flanders

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Dutch; Flemish. The secondary language of this manuscript is Latin.

Parchment

Medium-weight, well-prepared parchment, with heavier parchment used for illuminations; seventeenth-century laid paper flyleaves

Foliation: ii+363+ii

Modern pencil foliation in upper right corners, rectos

Formula: Quires 1-2: 6 (fols. 1-12); Quire 3: 4, with first folio added, the original folio between fols. 14 and 15 added and later removed, and the last folio cancelled; Quire 4: 8, with first folio added and later removed (fols. 17-24); Quires 5-7: 8 (fols. 25-48); Quire 8: 6 (fols. 49-54); Quire 9: 8 (fols. 55-62); Quire 10: 8, with fourth folio added (fols. 63-71); Quire 11: 8 (fols. 72-79); Quire 12: 8, with seventh folio add, including fol. 84bis (fols. 80-87); Quire 13: 8, with fourth folio added (fols. 88-96); Quire 14: 8 (fols. 97-104); Quire 15: 8, with first folio added and later removed (fols. 105-112); Quire 16: 10 (fols. 113-122); Quire 17: 8, with first folio added (fols. 123-131); Quires 18-19: 8 (fols. 132-147); Quire 20: 6 (148-153); Quires 21-29: 8 (fols. 154-225); Quire 30: 8, with fourth folio added (fols. 226-234); Quire 31: 8, with eighth folio added (fols. 235-243); Quire 32: 10 (fols. 244-253); Quire 33: 8, with first folio added (fols. 254-262); Quire 34: 8, with first folio added (fols. 263-271); Quire 35: 6 (fols. 272--277); Quire 36: 10, with sixth folio added (fols. 278-288); Quire 37: 6 (fols. 289-294); Quire 38: 10 (fols. 295-304); Quire 39: 6 (fols. 305-310); Quire 40: 10, with second folio added (fols. 311-321); Quire 41: 6 (fols. 322-327); Quire 42: 10 (fols. 328-337); Quire 43: 6, with seventh folio added (fols. 338-344); Quire 44: 10, with seventh and tenth folios added (fols. 345-356); Quire 45: 6 (fols. 357-362); Quire 36: singleton, tipped to paper back flyleaf, originally bifoliate with pastedown(?) (fol. 363)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments:

11.0 cm wide by 15.6 cm high

5.4 cm wide by 9.2 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 16-17
3. Red ink ruling for calendar and text; sixteen lines throughout text except for the calendar, which contains seventeen lines

fols. 1r - 363v:

1. Title: Prayer Book
2. Hand note: Littera bastarda; likely same scribe for the entire text
3. Decoration note: Fourteen full-page miniatures; six miniatures (8 lines); eight historiated initials (5-7 lines); decorated illuminated initials with gray and blue letters against a gold background (6 lines); initials opposite full-page miniatures alternate between blue and silver-leaf letters and rust and gold letters, and same applies to backgrounds of said initials (5-6 lines); secondary decorated initials with white acanthus-formed letters against brown, gold-specked backgrounds (2-3 lines); grisaille line fillers in litany (fols.116v-121r), alternating between disks and half-blossom petals; liquid gold borders throughout text, depictions include: angels, musicians, lewd drolleries, and many motifs reminiscent of Master of the Playing Cards (most prominently fols. 100r, 101v, 159v, 166v, 263v, 344v); rubrics in red; text in varying light-dark brown ink

fols. 1r - 12v:

1. Title: Calendar
2. Rubric: Januarius
3. Contents: Contents almost identical to Bruges calendar, except for the following names: Saturninus (Jan. 11, Mar. 29); Hyacinth (Jan. 31); Magnus (Feb. 4); Chrysolius (Feb. 7); Apollonia (Feb. 8); Boniface (Jun. 5); Ephrem (Jul. 9); Monulf and Gondulf (Jul 17); Donatus (Aug. 7); Piatus (Sep. 19); Remigius and Bavo (Oct. 1); Gummar (Oct. 11); Gangulf (Oct. 12); Amandus (Oct. 26); Gudwal (Nov. 16); Eligius (Dec. 1); Jodocus (Dec. 13); Candidus (Dec. 16)
4. Decoration note: "KL" written in gray and white begins each calendar page

fols. 13r - 16v:

1. Title: Suffrages
2. Rubric: De sancto iohanne euuanelista
3. Incipit: Gaude pater via morum
4. Contents: Contains two suffrages: fol. 14r-v: suffrage to St. John the Evangelist; fol. 15r-16r: suffrage to the Holy Face
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniature fol. 13v; decorated initials fols. 14r and 15r

fols. 17r - 65v:

1. Title: Devotions on Infancy and Passion of Christ
2. Rubric: Deuote bedinghen tot onsem heere
3. Incipit: O lieu heere gheweldighe
4. Contents: Devotional sequence: fols. 17r-58r: ruminations on the Infancy and Passion of Christ, with invocation to the Trinity for a female suppliant; fols. 58r-63v: prayer to wound in the side of Christ; fols. 63v-65v: female suppliant's prayer to Christ
5. Decoration note: Two historiated initials, fols. 59r and 64r

fols. 66r - 104v:

1. Title: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin
2. Rubric: Deuote bedinghe[n] tot ihesum
3. Incipit: O lieue heere ic beuele
4. Contents: Devotional sequences: fols. 67r-68v: prayer to Christ; fols. 69r-70v: female suppliant's prayer for confession; fol. 70r-v: Lord's prayer in Flemish; fols. 71r-73r: communion prayers; fols. 73r-75r: daily prayers and psalms for recitation; fols. 75r-84v: communion and various prayers
5. Decoration note: Three full-page miniatures, fols. 66v, 85v, and 91v; five historiated initials, fols. 88r, 97r, 101r-v, and 103r

fols. 105r - 116r:

1. Title: Seven penitential psalms
2. Rubric: Septem psalmi penitentiales
3. Incipit: Domine ne in furore
4. Decoration note: Decorated initial fol. 105r

fols. 116r - 122v:

1. Title: Litany, petitions, and three collects
2. Rubric: Letanie sanctorum
3. Incipit: Kyrie eleyson
4. Contents: Fols. 116r-122v: Litany, with south Netherlandish and northern French saints, evidence for Franciscan sympathy; 16 apostles, disciples, and innocents from Peter to Mark; 27 martyrs, including Lupus, Victor, Nicasius, Quintinus, Eustace, Maurice, Dionysius, Donatus, Erasmus, Blasius, and Hubert; 22 doctors, confessors, monks, and hermits, including Livin, Leonard, Bernard, Francis, Louis (possibly of Telouse, Franciscan), Bernardinus (Franciscan), Bavo, Remigius, Dominic, Bertin, and Amandus; 15 virgins, including Mary Magdalene, Clare, Ursula, Martha, and Apollonia; fols. 120r-122r: petitions, with cues to Ps. 69 and invocations; fols. 122r-v: 3 standard collects

fols. 123r - 363v:

1. Title: Meditations on the Passion of Christ
2. Rubric: Hier beghint die passien ende dat lijden ons heeren ihesu xristi
3. Incipit: O Ghij all die hier
4. Contents: Meditations on Passion in two sections (fol. 123r blank): fols. 123r-228v: daily meditations on Passion episodes a week before Crucifixion; majority of citations from Bernard, also including Augustine, Jerome, Origen, Anselm, Chrysostom, Josephus, Eusebius, Ambrose, Jerome, David, Isaiah, and others; fols. 229r-363v: meditations on Passion episodes occurring before and after Crucifixion; fol. 255r begins recitations from Matins to Compline
5. Decoration note: Full-page miniatures on fols. 123v, 229v, 242v, 254v, 263v, 283v, 312v, 344v, 351v, and 354v; smaller miniatures on fols. 147v, 161v, 166v, 172r, 207r, and 209v; decorated initials on fols. 124r, 230r, 243r, 255r, 264r, 284r, 313r, 345r, 352r, and 355r

fol. 13v:

1. 
2. Title: St. John the Evangelist with donor portraits of couple
3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 59r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "O" with Christ revealing his wounds
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 6 lines
4. Text: Devotions on Infancy and Passion of Christ

fol. 64r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "O" with two angels holding the Host
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 6 lines
4. Text: Devotions on Infancy and Passion of Christ

fol. 66v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ as Savior
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 85v:

1. 
2. Title: Female manuscript owner venerating the crucifix
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 88r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "O" with Christ Child giving a blessing
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 6 lines
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 91v:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin and Child enthroned
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 97r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "O" with Virgin of the sun and the Apocalypse
3. Form: Historiated initial "O," 5 lines
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 100r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "I" with St. John the Evangelist on Patmos
3. Form: Historiated initial "I," 7 lines
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 101v:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "U" with Pentecost
3. Form: Historiated initial "U," 7 lines
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 103r:

1. 
2. Title: Initial "H" with Mass and kneeling couple
3. Form: Historiated initial "H," 7 lines high
4. Text: Devotional sequences to Christ and the Virgin

fol. 123v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ with instruments of the Passion
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 147v:

1. 
2. Title: Raising of Lazarus
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 161v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ's entry into Jerusalem
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 166v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ driving merchants from the temple
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 172r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ and an adulteress
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 207r:

1. 
2. Title: Last Supper
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 209v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ washing apostles' feet
3. Form: Small miniature, 8 lines high
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 229v:

1. 
2. Title: Resurrected Christ and Virgin
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 242v:

1. 
2. Title: Agony and betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 254v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ before the high priest, and the denial of Peter
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 263v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ before Pilate
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 283v:

1. 
2. Title: Flagellation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 312v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ carrying cross, with Veronica extending veil
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 344v:

1. 
2. Title: Crucifixion
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 351v:

1. 
2. Title: Deposition
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

fol. 354v:

1. 
2. Title: Entombment
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Meditations on the Passion of Christ

The binding is not original.

Eighteenth-century brown calf binding, Belgium; gilt vine and floral border on upper and lower boards; floral, gilt border lining upper and lower board; rounded spine in six sections with lozenge shapes and gilt floral decoration; gilt title on spine "ROOMSCH/ GETY.[DE].BOEK."; edges decorated with figures of Christ, St. John, and the Virgin

Completed for an unnamed couple by followers of Willem Vrelant of Bruges, for Use of Rome, ca. 1480s

De Badts' collection, French Flanders, nineteenth century; armorial bookplate with "BIBLIOTHEQUE/ DE MR. DE BADTS DE CUGNAC" on front pastedown, top left

Léon Gruel, Paris, late nineteenth or early twentieth century; Gruel's bookplate inscribed "No. 1017" on front pastedown, lower left

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. 810, cat. no. 331.

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. 477, fig. 58.

Bousmanne, Bernard. Item à 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; pp. 192, 355 (n. 80).

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. 407-417, cat. no. 279.

Morrison, Elizabeth. "Master of the David Scenes in the Grimani Breviary and Another Illuminator." In Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe. Edited by Thomas Kren and Scot McKendrick, 390-391. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003; p. 391 (ref. under cat. no. 116).

Principal cataloger: Randall, Lilian M.C.

Cataloger: Bucca, Lauren

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.