REFLECTIONS ON THE CONNOLLY BOOK OF HOURS

small 4to. stiff paper wrappers. 64 pages. First edition. The Connolly Book of Hours is a beautiful example of fifteenth-century French manuscript art preserved in the collection of the John J. Burns Library at Boston College. Comprised of gospel readings, commemorative prayers for the saints and the Little Office of Our Lady, this Book of Hours provided a wide range of topics for the decorations of the medieval artist. This publication, the first to bring the glories of the Connolly Hours to the attention of the public, examines the historical context of the creation and use of illuminated manuscripts, details several of the lesser known Latin prayers used in the book, and offers modern French and English translations of the three vernacular prayers that conclude the text. Reflections by members of the Boston College community on the personal meaning they found in these brilliantly rendered illuminations accompanies each of the thirty-two color facsimile plates and descriptive iconography.…