French Books of Hours (1451-1500)

For three hundred years, from c. 1250 to c. 1550, the Book of Hours was the most popular manuscript of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. These books are often characterized as the 'bestseller' of the Middle Ages. As a genre, they certainly enjoyed enormous, even unprecedented popularity, becoming the prayer book of the laity, monarchs and merchants, lords and ladies, alike. Its popularity, however, was restricted to certain parts of Europe: primarily France, England and the Netherlands. Elsewhere in Europe, for example, in German-speaking lands, Central Europe and even Italy and Spain, where other types of prayer books retained their dominance, it remained relatively rare.

The core of the Book of Hours is the Office of the Virgin Mary, with its set of prayers to be recited at home eight different times, or hours, of the day, just as monks chanted the office during the eight monastic hours.

Every Book of Hours is unique. Its content - textual and pictorial - can vary enormously from volume to volume. Nevertheless, there are certain sections that are standard and are found in most Books of Hours, and the subjects of the miniatures that usually illustrate them are likewise standard.

Preview Picture Data File Info Comment
Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*955
True Color
169 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*976
True Color
166 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*962
True Color
174 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1004
True Color
161 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*968
True Color
176 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*928
True Color
139 Kb



Book of Hours
1455
Manuscript (74 G 37), 116 x 85 mm
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*976
True Color
142 Kb



Book of Hours
1450s
Manuscript (I. B. 30)
Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, Naples

870*1200
True Color
258 Kb



Book of Hours
1470s
Manuscript (Banco Rari 332)
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Florence

800*1201
True Color
210 Kb



Book of Hours
c. 1490
Manuscript
Private collection

825*1200
True Color
220 Kb



Book of Hours
1490s
Manuscript
Cathedral Library, Esztergom

498*503
True Color
76 Kb



Book of Hours
1490s
Manuscript
Cathedral Library, Esztergom

502*509
True Color
75 Kb



Très Petites Heurs d'Anne de Bretagne
c. 1498
Manuscript (Ms. nouv. acq. lat. 3120), 66 x 46 mm (each)
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

663*450
True Color
81 Kb



Très Petites Heurs d'Anne de Bretagne
c. 1498
Manuscript (Ms. nouv. acq. lat. 3120), 66 x 46 mm (each)
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

654*450
True Color
76 Kb



Book of Hours
c. 1500
Manuscript (Ms. W. 294)
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

1100*1131
True Color
174 Kb




Summary of illuminated manuscripts (miniatures)
Late Antique and Pre-Romanesque periods
351-400 | 401-450 | 451-500 | 501-550 | 551-600 | 601-650 | 651-700
701-750 | 751-800 | 801-850 | 851-900 | 901-950 | 951-1000
Romanesque period
1001-1050 | 1051-1100 | 1101-1150
Early and High Gothic periods
1151-1200 | 1201-1250 | 1251-1300
Late Gothic and Renaissance periods
1301-1350 | 1351-1400 | 1401-1450 | 1451-1500 | 1501-1550
Book covers
Illuminations by known masters
List of illuminators