1450-60 Book of Hours from the Masters of the Beady Eyes

Summary

A 15th century illuminated Book of Hours inscribed in a flowing Gothic script. Produced in Belgium from the workshop of the Masters of the Beady Eyes with a suite of 22 miniatures consisting of 10 full-page and 12 smaller square examples. Brought to market since its last 1860 public sale and recently acquired at auction.

Description

12mo (approx. 6.75 x 5 in.), 97ff. on parchment. Illuminated throughout with leaves ruled in purple ink and capitals highlighted in both red and blue. Ten brightly illuminated full-page miniatures, each inscribed with three-sided borders featuring illuminated scrollwork and enhanced with white dots, fruits, flowers, foliage, and gold vine leaves. Twelve smaller miniatures accompanied by a similar three-sided border. Each major text section is introduced by four-line initials and large miniatures. Hundreds of single to double line illuminated initials on alternating red and blue backgrounds in addition to numerous red and blue line fillers, all enhanced with illumination. Bound in brown triple gilt-paneled calf, spine with six compartments richly decorated with gilt flowers.

Structure

Calendar (ff. 1-6v) with notable saints of Donat (Feb 26), Gay [Pope Caius, martyr] (Apr 22), Bertin (Jul 16), Lambert (Sep 17), Vindicien (Nov 15), Nicaise (Dec 14); Gospel sequences (ff. 7-10v); Hours of the Cross (ff. 11-14); Hours of the Holy Spirit (ff. 14v-17); Mass for Our Lady (ff. 17v-20) with a rubric entitled “Incipit missa beate marie virginis”; Obsecro te (ff. 21-23) with the beginning missing and a masculine ending (f. 21v “… Et michi famulo tuo…”); Suffrages of the Saints (ff. 24-29); Psalms to be read according to the days of the week interspersed with the Hours of the Virgin (ff. 30-63, very incomplete) for the use of Rome followed by additional prayers and the Office of the Virgin for Advent; Seven Penitential Psalms (ff. 64-75, incomplete) followed by litanies; Office of the Dead (ff. 76-97).

Miniatures

St. John the on the Island of Patmos (f. 7, full-page); St. Luke (f. 8, full-page); St. Matthew (f. 9, full-page); St. Mark (f. 10, full-page); the Crucifixion (f. 11, full-page); Pentecost (f. 14, full-page); the Virgin with Child and two angels (f. 17, full-page); St. Paul (f. 24); St. John and the poisoned cup (f. 24v); St. Andrew (f. 25); St. James (f. 25v); St. Stephen (f. 26); St. Anthony of Padua (f. 26v); St. Lawrence (f. 27); St. Vincent (f. 27v); St. Barbara (f. 28); St. Margaret and the dragon (f. 28v); Mary Magdalene (f. 29); St. Anne, Mary with Child (f. 30); the Nativity (f. 46, full-page); Adoration of the Magi (f. 51, full-page); Funeral Office (f. 75, full-page).

Condition

Light rubbing and wear to binding; minor scattered staining throughout; two of the faces in the miniature of the Crucifixion are rubbed; the manuscript is incomplete with eight miniatures likely missing which include six from the Hours of the Virgin, and one introducing the Obsecro te, and one introducing the Seven Penitential Psalms.

Provenance

Produced in Bruges or Ghent, following the use of Rome, with the calendar and listed saints consistent with those honored in that region. The illumination style is consistent with the Masters of the Beady Eyes who were active in both regions from 1540-1570. The manuscript contains the ex-libris vignette of Maria Nanna Jozefina van Heurne de Puyenbeke Nee de Schietere de Lophem (1764-1804), a manuscript collector and wife of fellow collector Joseph van Heurne (1752-1844). Van Heurne’s ex-libris has been found on several manuscripts on the Belgium art market and in institutions such as the Bodleian Library (MS 77). Several manuscripts and books from this collection were sold in a major 1860 sale entitled “Catalogue d’une magnifique et precieuse collection de livres, de manuscrits et d’incunables, … délaissés par feu messier Jean baron de Pelichy-van Heurne, ancient sénateur et bourgmestre de la ville de Bruges, don’t la vente aura lieu publiquement … le mardi 24 juillet 1860.” Descriptions of manuscripts in the catalog are lax making it challenging to identify the specific lot. The manuscript comes from a private collection in France and was later consigned to an auction house. The manuscript is accompanied by a valid export license.

Note

The Masters of the Beady Eyes are a continuation of the artists from the group of the Masters of the Gold Scrolls, originally active in Bruges, and emulating much of that style of modeling. Active in Ghent and Bruges they are recognized by the characteristic way of drawing the eyes using a sustained line and a small disk for the pupil – a small beady dot to represent the eyes of figures. Additionally, there is a color palate of pastel tones, including an almond green and flat tints of bright colors (dark red, blue, and orange) that the artist of this manuscript favors. The hanging and backgrounds present decorations with “golden scrolls” with colored paving, most certainly derived from the Masters of the Gold Scrolls.