Flemish Breviaries (1501-1550)

A breviary (from Latin brevis, 'short' or 'concise') is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use.

Before the rise of the mendicant orders (wandering friars) in the thirteenth century, the daily services were usually contained in a number of large volumes. The first occurrence of a single manuscript of the daily office was written by the Benedictine order at Monte Cassino in Italy in 1099. Mendicant friars travelled around a lot and needed a shortened, or abbreviated, daily office contained in one portable book, and single-volume breviaries flourished from the thirteenth century onwards.

Before the advent of printing, breviaries were written by hand and were often richly decorated with initials and miniature illustrations telling stories in the lives of Christ or the saints, or stories from the Bible.

Preview Picture Data File Info Comment
Mayer van den Bergh Breviary
1510-15
Manuscript, 224 x 160 mm
Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp

1076*901
True Color
189 Kb



Mayer van den Bergh Breviary
1510-15
Manuscript, 224 x 160 mm
Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp

720*1111
True Color
152 Kb



Mayer van den Bergh Breviary
1510-15
Manuscript, 224 x 160 mm
Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp

740*1051
True Color
191 Kb



Breviary
1500-10
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1024
True Color
138 Kb



Breviary
1500-10
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1000
True Color
167 Kb



Breviary
1500-10
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*701
True Color
116 Kb



Grimani Breviary
1510s
Manuscript (Ms. lat. I 99), 280 x 215 mm
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice

800*1059
True Color
171 Kb



Grimani Breviary
1510s
Manuscript (Ms. lat. I 99), 280 x 215 mm
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice

861*1100
True Color
190 Kb



Grimani Breviary
1510s
Manuscript (Ms. lat. I 99), 280 x 215 mm
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice

745*1000
True Color
137 Kb



Breviary
c. 1525
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1009
True Color
144 Kb



Breviary
c. 1525
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*961
True Color
137 Kb



Breviary
1520-25
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*792
True Color
118 Kb



Breviary
1520-25
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*796
True Color
108 Kb



Breviary
1520-25
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1056
True Color
162 Kb



Breviary
1520-25
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*983
True Color
131 Kb



Breviary
c. 1525
Manuscript
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague

700*1002
True Color
162 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