The Art of Devotion

Books of Hours were prayer books of private devotion for lay members of the Church, which could be read at home or on special occasions. Books of Hours were the ‘bestsellers’ of medieval times, becoming by far the most popular and numerous kind of illuminated manuscript.  

This example was produced for Paris use, possibly by a follower of the Bedford Master, at the Pedrizet school near Paris, between 1415 and 1435. Written in Latin, with some prayers in French, it is a typical example of its kind, although some miniatures and text are missing.  

As with most Books of Hours, the manuscript begins with a perpetual calendar of the Church year. Each month is illustrated with a miniature of the labour of the month, for example, harvesting corn in August as shown here.

The calendar is written in French and lists the saints and feast days for each month in red and blue ink, with particularly important days in gold.  There is also a miniature representing the sign of the Zodiac for each month, including Sagittarius, as shown here.     

The calendar is followed by Gospel lessons by the four evangelists, John, Luke, Matthew and Mark. This Book of Hours only contains the miniature for the first reading, that of John. He is shown on the isle of Patmos, writing the Book of Revelation, with his symbol, an eagle.

The Hours of the Virgin form the central core of a Book of Hours. These prayers and psalms to the Virgin Mary are to be said or sung throughout the day at the canonical ‘Hours’. Of the four ‘Hours’ miniatures in this manuscript, the Annunciation of the Shepherds marks Terce. 

The Hour of Sext is marked with a miniature of the Adoration of the Magi. In this decorative scene, the eldest of the Magi is seen kneeling to present his gift and to kiss the Child’s hand. The attention to detail extends to the depiction of a hole in the roof of the stable.

Christ’s Presentation in the Temple illustrates the Hour of None. Here, the Christ Child is shown being presented by his mother to the high priest Simeon. A handmaiden holds a candle for the procession of lights following the ceremony (from which the name Candlemas is derived).

The final Hour of Compline is marked by an image of the Coronation of the Virgin, the last momentous event in her life. The Virgin is shown kneeling as she is crowned as Queen of Heaven by her Son, who is seated on a throne, while two angels play stringed instruments.

The Office of the Dead is a section of psalms and readings to be said at a funeral and to be recited daily as a reminder of one’s mortality. The miniature depicts a burial scene with a priest and mourners. A charnel house filled with skulls is shown in the background. 

The manuscript concludes with the Suffrages or Memoria to Saints, illustrated with miniatures. These are appeals to the saints for aid from God through each saint’s intercession. St Michael the Archangel is shown holding the scales of judgement, weighing the souls of two figures

St. Margaret was a particularly popular saint in the Middle Ages. She was imprisoned with a devil, in the form of a dragon, who swallowed her. However, she was saved by the cross that she carried, which upset the beast’s stomach that then miraculously opened and released her.  

On the following page of the manuscript is a miniature of St. Geneviève, shown holding her symbol, a candle, which was continuously snuffed out by a devil with bellows and then relit by an angel, as the saint made her way to evening prayers.