FRENCH ILLUMINATED BOOK OF HOURS LEAF, ON VELLUM - CRUCIFIXION, PARIS c 1532

Description

Original Illuminated Book of Hours Leaf printed on vellum
Paris, France c 1532
Text:
THE CRUCIFIXION, the
Passion of Christ from John
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IM-12968
:  Original leaf from a printed & beautifully hand-illuminated
Book of Hours
.
Ruled for twenty-six lines of Latin text and printed in black on animal vellum.
(Size 163 x 108mm – 6 3/8 x 4 1/4’’)
The leaf is embellished with an elaborate illuminated border on each side -
hand-painted with tempera colors in a floral motif with acanthus leaves, red roses (symbol of martyrdom), and columbines (symbol of the Holy Spirit)
on liquid gold ground.
Printed and hand-painted
with
rich sumptuous colors
in the workshop of
Germain Hardouyn
- printer and highly skilled illuminator.
Paris, c.
1532.
This leaf continues the story of the
Passion of Jesus Christ
with
John 19:23-41
: “Unicuique militi…” (To every soldier a part…There stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother…Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated.
And bowing his head he gave up the ghost
...They took therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein no man yet had been laid…).
Medieval Books of Hours
are personal prayer books of a devout and status-conscious society and are not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time.  They reveal a unique combination of sacred and secular imagery - made of the finest materials, by the best craftsmen, for a small audience that could both appreciate and afford them. In purpose and format, printed
Books of Hours
followed the older manuscript examples. The more luxurious were printed on vellum.
This is an original, almost 500 years old, not a reproduction. It is in nice condition as shown in the photos, with stunning bright colors and gold with some light soiling from devotional use.
This leaf comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
We have been full-time dealers in Illuminated Manuscripts, Maps, Prints and Antiquities since 1980.