Creative Commons License
Leaf from a Breviary
(Manuscripts and Rare Books)
Hidden within a jungle of flowering vines, an ape attempts to unlock the secret to a three-dimensional puzzle. Medieval artists were fond of depicting animals, in particular apes and monkeys, engaged in human activities. In medieval Europe, the term "aping" was used to describe the mimicking of human nature, so showing apes acting like people was a play on this idea.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Leon Gruel, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, after 1894, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Checkmate! Medieval People at Play. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France, Rouen (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 8 7/16 x W: 6 1/4 in. (21.5 x 15.8 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, after 1894
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
W.300.358V
