Book of Hours, Use of Rome, in Latin [French Flanders (Cambrai or Valenciennes), c.1460-70]

108x77mm, vellum, iv+i+184+iv, complete, 24 quires of 8 leaves, except i8-2 (i and ii cancelled, blank), ii6, vii4, 17 lines, 68x40mm, 12 LARGE MINIATURES with full borders, 9 HISTORIATED INITIALS with panel borders, two-line initials with panel borders on many pages, small illuminated initials and line-fillers; in a 19th-century hand, 'd'Utrecht' on f.1r; borders slightly cropped, slight rubbing; 19th-century red gilt morocco binding, spine with gilt title, gilt edges, fitted case

A BOOK OF HOURS PAINTED IN GRISAILLE BY THE SO-CALLED BETREMIEU GROUP, PUBLISHED AS ONE OF THE KEY WORKS IN THE SCHOLARLY LITERATURE

provenance

(1) The calendar strongly suggests an origin in Hainaut (which spans the modern French-Belgian border), although there are some unexpected entries, such as the LXXIX Martyrs (21 Feb.), which is suggestive of Utrecht and Cologne, and others that remain unidentified (e.g. Bernardinus, 28 Jan.); several saints suggest the southern French-speaking part of the diocese of Cambrai, notably Aldegundis of Maubeuge (30 Jan.), Adrianus of Grammont (4 March), Gertrudis of Nivelles (17 March), Waldetrudis of Mons (9 April) and Gaugericus, bishop of Cambrai (11 Aug.), and some of these also appear in the litany.

(2) Renate König, of Cologne (bookplate); published in J. Plotzek, Andachtsbücher des Mittelalters aus Privatbesitz, 1987, no.59.

(3) Private collection of James E. and Elizabeth J. Ferrell, the present owners (bookplate with initials).

text and illumination

Calendar (f.1r); Gospel extracts (f.13r); ‘O intemerata’ (f.19r), ‘Obsecro te’ (f.23r); Hours of the Cross (f.28r) and of the Holy Spirit (f.36r); ‘Stabat mater’ (f.42r); Prayers of St Gregory, with an indulgence of 2,024 years and 23 days (f.45r); suffrage to St Louis (f.46v); Hours of the Virgin, Use of Rome, with Matins (f.49r), Lauds (f.60v), Prime (f.72v), Terce (f.77v), Sext (f.82v), None (f.87v), Vespers (f.92r), Compline (f.100v); Penitential Psalms (f.107), litany (f.119v), petitions and collects; Verses of St Bernard (f.130v); suffrages (f.132r); Office of the Dead, Use of Rome (f.137r).

This manuscript has been published as one of the manuscripts of the so-called BETREMIEU GROUP, a small group of Books of Hours that was produced in Hainaut in the 1460s and 1470, named after the use of the Flemish word for Bartholomew (Betremieu) in some of the calendars (B. Cardon, 'Saint Betremieu en andere Heiligen', in Leuvens Palet, Jaarboek, 18, 1989, pp.41-62, esp.p.47, pls.9-10). Although closely linked because of peculiarities in the calendars, they were painted by different artists (the Book of Hours in the Garcia collection, Mechelen, for example, is now attributed to the Master of Philippe de Croy, active in Mons; on whom see D. Vanwijnsberghe, Ung bon ouvrier nommé Marquet Caussin, 2013). It is possible that the present manuscript was produced in Cambrai; Hainaut's other major city, Valenciennes, where Simon Marmion settled c.1458, is a plausible alternative, especially as books commissioned by Cambrai patrons, such as the contemporary Missal made for the cathedral, were illuminated by Marc Caussin, based in Valenciennes.

The subjects of the large miniatures are: (1) f.28r, Crucifixion; (2) f.36r, Pentecost; (3) f.49r, Annunciation; (4) f.60v, Visitation; (5) f.72v, Nativity; (6) f.77v, Annunciation to the Shepherds; (7) f.82v, Adoration of the Magi; (8) f.87v, Presentation; (9) f.92r, Flight into Egypt; (10), f.100v, Massacre of the Innocents; (11) f.107r, David in Penitence; (12) f.137r, Raising of Lazarus.

The subjects of the historiated initials are: (1) f.13r, John the Evangelist; (2) f.14v, Luke, painting the portrait of the Virgin and Child; (3) f.16r, Matthew; (4) f.18r, Mark; (5) f.19r, Virgin and Child standing on a Crescent Moon; (6) f.23r, Virgin and Child; (7) f.42r, Pietà; (8) f.45r, Gregory kneeling before an altar; (9) f.46v, Louis holding a fleur-de-lys-topped sceptre.