Bedford Book of Hours to go on display
By James Burleigh
17/03/2007
The Bedford Book of Hours, described as "an outstanding work of late medieval manuscript art", is to go on display at the British Library next week.
Work on The Bedford Book of Hours probably began between 1410 and 1415.
The lavishly illustrated book is described as "the finest manuscript to survive from the renowned library of John, the Duke of Bedford (brother of King Henry V of England)".
It appears alongside the Sobieski Hours, another richly illustrated 15th century manuscript, which has been lent by The Queen for the purposes of this exhibition entitled The Bedford Hours: Owners and Illuminators.
Both books are the work of the 15th century artist known as the Bedford Master.
It had previously been thought that the Bedford Hours was made to commemorate the duke's marriage to Anne of Burgundy on 13 May 1423, as their portraits appear in its pages. However, the manuscript was probably started earlier, between 1410 and 1415, for another patron. The duke was English regent in France from 1422 to 1435.
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THE BEDFORD BOOK OF HOURS
The Bedford Book of Hours is an outstanding work of late medieval manuscript art. It was produced for the wedding of John, Duke of Bedford, to Anne of Burgundy on 13 May 1423. Portraits of the bride and groom, dressed in their elegant court clothes, appear in its pages. The couple's royal status and their taste for luxury are reflected in the superb quality of the manuscript, which is lavishly decorated with many miniature paintings. No expense was spared.
What is a Book of Hours?
A Book of Hours is a collection of Christian prayers for recitation at different times, ‘hours’, of the day. Intended for individual use at home, they were simplified versions of the eight periods of daily prayer observed by monks and nuns, from matins in the morning to compline at night. They were written in Latin, the language of the medieval Church.
From the numbers that survive, it’s clear the Book of Hours was the most popular type of religious book in medieval Europe. It seems to have held particular appeal for women, perhaps by reason of its emphasis on prayers to the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, who was held as the model of virtue for all of her sex.
Books of Hours vary to a degree in content and order, as well as their decoration.
Each was tailored to the particular requirements of its patron, and this customisation can often be very revealing to the historian.
Who were the Duke of Bedford and his new wife?
John, Duke of Bedford was the brother of King Henry V, who had regained territories in France for the English by his historic victory in the Battle of Agincourt. Henry V died in 1422, leaving the crown to his son, who was not yet nine months old.
The Duke of Bedford, being the elder of the infant king’s living uncles, assumed the duties of governing France in his name. As Regent of France, Bedford used all military and diplomatic means necessary to defend the English claim to the French throne against that of the French heir, known by custom as the Dauphin.
Anne was the 18-year-old sister of Philip, Duke of Burgundy. She had little love for the Dauphin. In 1419, he had been complicit in the assassination of their father during negotiations supposedly held under truce - an act of treachery that drove the Burgundians into alliance with England against France. Anne’s marriage to John cemented the Treaty of Amiens, signed the previous month by the Dukes of Bedford, Burgundy and Brittany, pledging their support for English rule in France.
Do we know who made the manuscript?
Religious books were originally made by monks in monasteries and abbeys. But well before the 15th century, demand grew enough to support secular manuscript-making businesses in several European cities. As Regent of France, the Duke of Bedford had ready access to one of the finest: Paris.
Jean Pucelle had established a famous workshop in Paris almost a century earlier. He was succeeded by the Limbourg brothers from the Netherlands, who raised the city’s reputation higher still with work such as the ‘Très Riches Heures’ made for the Duke of Berry.
The name of the chief artist of the Paris workshop that produced the ‘Bedford Hours’ is not known. Art historians refer to him simply as ‘the Bedford Master’. He was the head of a flourishing studio that produced a substantial number of fine manuscripts. The Duke of Bedford commissioned at least three from him.
Some minor elements left unfinished by the manuscript’s makers suggest they were hard pressed to meet the wedding deadline. A few years later, three new pages were added by another artist from the same workshop.
An illustration from the Bedford Book of Hours
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/euromanuscripts/bedford.html
By James Burleigh
17/03/2007
The Bedford Book of Hours, described as "an outstanding work of late medieval manuscript art", is to go on display at the British Library next week.
Work on The Bedford Book of Hours probably began between 1410 and 1415.
The lavishly illustrated book is described as "the finest manuscript to survive from the renowned library of John, the Duke of Bedford (brother of King Henry V of England)".
It appears alongside the Sobieski Hours, another richly illustrated 15th century manuscript, which has been lent by The Queen for the purposes of this exhibition entitled The Bedford Hours: Owners and Illuminators.
Both books are the work of the 15th century artist known as the Bedford Master.
It had previously been thought that the Bedford Hours was made to commemorate the duke's marriage to Anne of Burgundy on 13 May 1423, as their portraits appear in its pages. However, the manuscript was probably started earlier, between 1410 and 1415, for another patron. The duke was English regent in France from 1422 to 1435.
------------------------------------------------------------
THE BEDFORD BOOK OF HOURS
The Bedford Book of Hours is an outstanding work of late medieval manuscript art. It was produced for the wedding of John, Duke of Bedford, to Anne of Burgundy on 13 May 1423. Portraits of the bride and groom, dressed in their elegant court clothes, appear in its pages. The couple's royal status and their taste for luxury are reflected in the superb quality of the manuscript, which is lavishly decorated with many miniature paintings. No expense was spared.
What is a Book of Hours?
A Book of Hours is a collection of Christian prayers for recitation at different times, ‘hours’, of the day. Intended for individual use at home, they were simplified versions of the eight periods of daily prayer observed by monks and nuns, from matins in the morning to compline at night. They were written in Latin, the language of the medieval Church.
From the numbers that survive, it’s clear the Book of Hours was the most popular type of religious book in medieval Europe. It seems to have held particular appeal for women, perhaps by reason of its emphasis on prayers to the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, who was held as the model of virtue for all of her sex.
Books of Hours vary to a degree in content and order, as well as their decoration.
Each was tailored to the particular requirements of its patron, and this customisation can often be very revealing to the historian.
Who were the Duke of Bedford and his new wife?
John, Duke of Bedford was the brother of King Henry V, who had regained territories in France for the English by his historic victory in the Battle of Agincourt. Henry V died in 1422, leaving the crown to his son, who was not yet nine months old.
The Duke of Bedford, being the elder of the infant king’s living uncles, assumed the duties of governing France in his name. As Regent of France, Bedford used all military and diplomatic means necessary to defend the English claim to the French throne against that of the French heir, known by custom as the Dauphin.
Anne was the 18-year-old sister of Philip, Duke of Burgundy. She had little love for the Dauphin. In 1419, he had been complicit in the assassination of their father during negotiations supposedly held under truce - an act of treachery that drove the Burgundians into alliance with England against France. Anne’s marriage to John cemented the Treaty of Amiens, signed the previous month by the Dukes of Bedford, Burgundy and Brittany, pledging their support for English rule in France.
Do we know who made the manuscript?
Religious books were originally made by monks in monasteries and abbeys. But well before the 15th century, demand grew enough to support secular manuscript-making businesses in several European cities. As Regent of France, the Duke of Bedford had ready access to one of the finest: Paris.
Jean Pucelle had established a famous workshop in Paris almost a century earlier. He was succeeded by the Limbourg brothers from the Netherlands, who raised the city’s reputation higher still with work such as the ‘Très Riches Heures’ made for the Duke of Berry.
The name of the chief artist of the Paris workshop that produced the ‘Bedford Hours’ is not known. Art historians refer to him simply as ‘the Bedford Master’. He was the head of a flourishing studio that produced a substantial number of fine manuscripts. The Duke of Bedford commissioned at least three from him.
Some minor elements left unfinished by the manuscript’s makers suggest they were hard pressed to meet the wedding deadline. A few years later, three new pages were added by another artist from the same workshop.
An illustration from the Bedford Book of Hours
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/euromanuscripts/bedford.html