A Treasury of Hours: Selections from Illuminated Prayer Books

by Fanny Fay-Sallois, Dominique Ponnau (Foreword)

During the Middle Ages, kings and nobility frequently commissioned the greatest artists of their day to illustrate, or "illuminate," their personal prayer books. Intended for private reading and meditation, these so-called "books of hours" were arranged, in keeping with the practice of the church, so that particular prayers were read at specific times of the day. To our enduring enchantment, the artists who illustrated these books entwined delicate flowers, beautiful fruits, and fanciful creatures with depictions of activities appropriate to each month of the year and with moving
illustrations depicting stories from the lives of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.

Presented here are carefully selected pages from over a dozen precious fourteenth- and fifteenth-century manuscripts—most of which have never been published before—found in some of the world's leading museums and libraries. Arranged and described to guide the viewer's eye, these delightful and colorful illustrations invite readers, young and old, to immerse themselves in the medieval imagination.

Also included are a glossary and a short history of the noble personages who commissioned the works and the artists who produced them.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction

134 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2005

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the invention of the printing press, wealthy men and women of Europe commissioned hand-lettered and hand-illustrated volumes from some of the finest artists of the time. Among the most precious were books of hours, which contained psalms and readings arranged for specific times of day. Many of these books contained ravishing illustrations—called "illuminations"—picturing such biblical scenes as the Nativity, the Mount of Olives, the Dance of Salome, and the Pentecost. The margins of these pages were often embellished with enchanting decorative motifs of flowers, foliage, birds, and animals.

I've long been fascinated by the idea of using a Book of Hours for devotion. This lovely book from The J. Paul Getty Museum delivers the closest experience I'm likely ever to have.

Selections from a variety of illuminated prayer books take the reader through a good representation of what patrons would have found in the books they commissioned for their own daily prayer. They include variety of different books of hours and topics ranging from calendar pages, gospel passages, hours of the Passion, hours of the Virgin, and the saints. Each spread has a prayer and annotation so you can get more out of the illustration and prayer.

This is a book I will visit again and again. Not only is the artwork delightful but the artists' interpretations gave me new food for thought and reflection. Just as a Book of Hours is supposed to do!