Leaf from the Hours of Louis XII
Manuscript Cutting
ca. 1498 (made)
ca. 1498 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This leaf featuring a miniature painting of The Nativity originally formed part of a richly decorated prayer book, the Hours of Louis XII, king of France (r. 1498-1515). The artist, Jean Bourdichon, was official painter to four successive French kings, including Louis XII. In The Nativity he has rendered divine light in gold, but has used a whitish-yellow for the earthy light of Joseph's lamp. This dramatic use of lighting illustrates the belief that the newly born Christ Child 'radiated such an ineffable light and splendour, that the sun was not comparable to it, nor did the candle . . . give any light at all, the divine light totally annihilating the material light'.
Leaves from this manuscript have survived in various collections around the world including the British Library, the John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Musée du Louvre in Paris (for full study and details, see Kren 2005).
Leaves from this manuscript have survived in various collections around the world including the British Library, the John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Musée du Louvre in Paris (for full study and details, see Kren 2005).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Leaf from the Hours of Louis XII (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ink on parchment with watercolour and gold |
| Brief description | Manuscript leaf from the Hours of Louis XII, including Nativity scene by Jean Bourdichon, France (Tours), c.1498. |
| Physical description | Manuscript leaf with a full-page miniature of the Nativity, introducing Prime in the Hours of the Virgin. The text begins on the frame of the miniature, which would have been painted on the recto, and continues on the verso of the leaf. The verso has a partial border with daisies, acanthus leaves and a butterfly on gold ground, as well as decorated initials including one enclosing an insect, and line-fillers in the shape of logs. Rubrics have been written in blue ink. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | DEUS I[N] ADIUTORIU[M] MEU[M] I[N]TENDE D[OMI]NE AD ADIUVANDU[M] ME [FESTINA] (Psalm 69, verse 2.)
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| Credit line | Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund |
| Object history | Made c.1498 for Louis XII, King of France. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This leaf featuring a miniature painting of The Nativity originally formed part of a richly decorated prayer book, the Hours of Louis XII, king of France (r. 1498-1515). The artist, Jean Bourdichon, was official painter to four successive French kings, including Louis XII. In The Nativity he has rendered divine light in gold, but has used a whitish-yellow for the earthy light of Joseph's lamp. This dramatic use of lighting illustrates the belief that the newly born Christ Child 'radiated such an ineffable light and splendour, that the sun was not comparable to it, nor did the candle . . . give any light at all, the divine light totally annihilating the material light'. Leaves from this manuscript have survived in various collections around the world including the British Library, the John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Musée du Louvre in Paris (for full study and details, see Kren 2005). |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.949-2003 |
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| Record created | January 16, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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