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Written in Latin on vellum, this manuscript was made between 1475 and 1483, probably at Ghent or Bruges in the Low Countries. The painted miniatures are attributed to an artist known as the Master of the First Prayer Book of Maximillian I. This Book of Hours belonged to William, Lord Hastings, who undertook diplomatic missions to the Low Countries. Hastings was a staunch protector of Prince Edward and his brother - the young 'princes in the Tower' - and as such stood between Richard, Duke of Gloucester and his kingly ambitions. Gloucester had Hastings executed in June 1483, a month before he claimed the throne as Richard III. In one instance, the Hasting arms overlap earlier painted decoration, raising the suggestion that Lord Hastings may not have been the manuscript's original owner.
The picture shows folios 131-132 of the manuscript. Realistic flowers from the hedgerows decorate these pages that illustrate the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.
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