Heures de la Vierge à l'usage de Rome

Octavo, 140 leaves. 
Cold-stamped calf over wooden boards, spine restored. Contemporary binding.

206 x 142 mm.

Hours of the Virgin for the Use of Rome. Illuminated manuscript on vellum.
Paris, around 1460.

Very attractive Parisian illuminated manuscript on vellum from the mid-15^th century, decorated with 13 large paintings.

The text includes:

- The Calendar. Saint Geneviève, patron saint of Paris, is written in gold letters, thus enabling the Parisian workshop of the artist to be identified.
- The Psalms.
- Obsecro te and O. intemerata.
- The Hours of the Virgin.
- The Penitential Psalms.
- The Hours of the Holy Spirit.
- The Office of the Dead.

The subjects of the 13 large paintings portray:

- Saint John at Patmos. Beautiful cathedral architecture in the background.
- The Annunciation at the beginning of Matins. Serene scene. Beautiful 15^th century interior.
- The Visitation for Lauds, with landscape and fortified town in the background.
- The Nativity for Prime. Gentle scene. Castle in the background.
- The Adoration of the Magi for Terce. Very beautiful blue. Fortress in the background.
- The Annunciation to the Shepherds for Sext. Joyful scene. Pretty rolling countryside with cathedral in the background. Rare depiction of a woman spinning wool.
- The Presentation at the Temple for None.
- The Flight into Egypt with architectural background for Vespers.
- The Coronation of the Virgin for Compline. Lovely scene. Mary with flowing hair kneels before the throne of God.
- David in Prayer, in a Gothic interior, his harp before him for the Penitential Psalms.
- Pentecost Scene for the Hours of the Holy Spirit. John wears a cloak of richly patterned fabric highlighted with gold threads.
- Crucifixion for the Hours of the Cross.
- An interesting funeral service for the Office of the Dead.

The entirety of the paintings evoke the mastery of Parisian illuminators of the mid-15^th century in the gentle rendering of expressions, interior scenes, idyllic rolling countryside landscapes, and carefully crafted architectural backgrounds.

The colors are vibrant, notably very beautiful deep ultramarine blues, carmines, and pale greens.

The artist has highlighted the scenes with numerous touches of gold.

Each scene is set within a large, highly decorative border of multiple finely executed gilded scrolls populated with numerous finely depicted birds.

Each page of the manuscript is also enriched with a sumptuous border of rich gold scrollwork adorned with wild field flowers. 

The presence of a woman spinning wool in the scene of theAnnunciation to the Shepherds in place of the usual third shepherd is exceptional. 

Precious illuminated manuscript on vellum from the mid-15^th century, large format with wide margins, richly decorated with 13 paintings and wide, finely executed and highly decorative gilded borders on each page – preserved in its wooden board binding adorned with representations of the Virgin and Saints.

Provenance: From the library of the Count of Meaux with his armorial bookplate on the endpaper.
On the verso of the last leaf are the arms of Francis Gibson in ink.