Leaf from a Book of Hours: King David in Prayer (2 of 3 Excised Leaves)

The 1520s Hours Workshop produced luxury books of hours for a wealthy, often royal, clientele. Recent evidence points to Paris as the site of the workshop’s activity under the direction of Antwerp-born miniaturist Noël Bellemare (died 1546). Containing fuschia pinks and bright acid greens, the palette is unusual in French manuscript painting of the period. Instead, Bellemare’s miniatures point directly to Antwerp painting at the time.