- Feb 5, 2002
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I recently discovered this very beautiful Book of Hours by the Flemish artist Simon Bening (1483 ca. - 1561), who specialized in the production of richly illuminated manuscripts, and made several such prayer books for wealthy patrons such the Emperor Charles V and the Infante of Portugal. This particular example is known as the Flower Book of Hours, since nearly every page without a large illustration has four different flowers on it, as in the fourth image here. (On many pages, one or more of the flowers is replaced by a bird, insect, or some other animal; an especially good example of this is given below.) It was made around 1520-25, for an unknown patron; by this time, Bening had moved from his native place (either Ghent or Antwerp) to Bruges, where he was an important figure in the bookmakers’ guild. He is regarded as the last major exponent of the tradition that produced this kind of work in the Netherlands, which were taken over in the 16th century by the worst and most destructive form of Calvinism; the Beeldenstorm, a famous and particular vicious outbreak of iconoclasm, took place about 5 years after his death.
The book begins with a calendar, and as is very often the case in Books of Hours, each page is accompanied by the sign of the zodiac that begins within that month, and some form of agricultural activity: for the current month, July, the sign of Leo, with the reaping of crops in the background, and a waterfowl hunt in the foreground. In many places in the manuscript, where a line has no text, it is filled with a decorative bar, also very typical of higher quality Books of Hours.
Continued below.
www.newliturgicalmovement.org
The book begins with a calendar, and as is very often the case in Books of Hours, each page is accompanied by the sign of the zodiac that begins within that month, and some form of agricultural activity: for the current month, July, the sign of Leo, with the reaping of crops in the background, and a waterfowl hunt in the foreground. In many places in the manuscript, where a line has no text, it is filled with a decorative bar, also very typical of higher quality Books of Hours.
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Continued below.
A Very Beautiful 16th Century Book of Hours
Sacred liturgy and liturgical arts. Liturgical history and theology. The movements for the Usus Antiquior and Reform of the Reform.
In depictions of meals being shared by the nobles, there are plenty of examples where the guests at table are shown throwing food scraps on the floor for the dogs, as well.
