Book of Hours

Description This Book of Hours illuminated ca. 1470 contains stunning examples of full-page miniatures in the style of Willem Vrelant, most likely originating in Bruges. Given that several prayer cycles contain indications of a female suppliant, as well as a majority female saints in the litany, the book was either owned or co-owned by a woman. The artist or artists have chosen to alternate between color and near-grisaille miniatures throughout the text and the calendar, making for a strikingly varied program of images.

Conservation

Date	Description	Narrative
9/26/2014	Treatment	binding stabilized; examined for digitization; media consolidation

Exhibitions

• The Four Seasons. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1986.
• Time Sanctified: The Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1988.
• Outdoor Space in Medieval Book Illumination. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1990.
• To Arrest the Ravages of Time: Caring for Art at the Walters. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1996.

Provenance Likely owned by Eleanor of Portugal (1458-1525, wife of John II) [1]. Clerical ownership, Santiago, ca. 1600 [2]. Léon Gruel, Paris, late 19th-early 20th century [3]; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931. [1] Ownership inscription on front pastedown: Este libro foi da rainha/dona lianor nao se po/ de dar de fora so pe/na de escommunhao [2] Inscription added on front pastedown by 1600: Fr. Luis de S[an]tiago [3] Modern pencil inscriptions on front pastedown read "Add. Ms. 12" and "N 815"; same numbers occur on Gruel's handwritten sales slip

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters