TEXT FROM VESPERS
A PRINTED VELLUM LEAF WITH A VERY FINE, EXTREMELY LARGE ILLUMINATED MINIATURE PAINTING OF THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS, FROM A BOOK OF HOURS IN LATIN
Published by Gilles Hardouin, ca, Paris, 1510
Used
From
Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
AbeBooks Seller since March 21, 2000
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About this Item
Description:
222 x 140 mm. (8 3/4 x 5 1/2"). Single column, 30 lines of text, gothic typeface. Attractively matted. Verso with elaborate metalcut compartmentalized border featuring mischievous putti and grotesques, the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, and a woman shearing a sheep; the same side with 18 one-line hand-painted initials in gold on a blue or red ground, two similar two-line initials, and one three-line foliated initial in gold on a red ground; recto WITH A RICHLY PAINTED AND ILLUMINATED WOODCUT OF THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS, with a glimpse of the flight into Egypt on the left side of the scene. â A touch of wrinkling to lower outer corner, verso with remnants of mounting tape, otherwise A VERY FINE LEAF, the printing clear and fresh, the colors vivid, and the gold lustrous. The massacre depicted here appears to be taking place in Herod's throne room, as if he had ordered it for his own entertainment. Seated in the center of the piece on a massive gold throne, he views the heartbreaking chaos before him impassively, ignoring an angry women who is lifting her bleeding infant up to him as if to say, "See what you've done!" The mothers here are not wailing in grief, but are angrily fighting for their sons' lives. In the foreground, a soldier pushes a golden-haired woman out of the way, in order to finish off the dazed and wounded infant she and her companion are attempting to shield. On either side, soldiers have raised swords to smite the helpless tots, and to the right of Herod, a bleeding infant looks pitifully up at the armored solder who holds him by the arm, ready to deliver the fatal blow. In the upper right, we see a baby impaled on a spear. A glimpse of hope through an open window mitigates the horror of the gruesome scene: we see Joseph leading a donkey bearing the Virgin and the Christ Child as they flee to Egypt, blessed by golden rays streaming down from heaven. The action here is dramatic, intense, and memorable; the colors are vivid, the heavy use of gold adding light to an overwhelmingly sober subject. The Book of Hours from which this leaf came must have been extraordinarily sumptuous. Seller Inventory # ST11712
Bibliographic Details
Title: TEXT FROM VESPERS
Publisher: Gilles Hardouin, ca, Paris
Publication Date: 1510
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TEXT FROM THE OPENING OF VESPERS
Published by
ca. 1450, Paris, 1450
Used
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
159 x 108 mm. (6 1/4 x 4 1/4"). Single column, four lines of text on the verso, 15 on the recto, in a very pleasing gothic book hand. Attractively matted. Recto with a line filler in colors and gold, verso with a one-line initial in burnished gold on a maroon and blue background with white tracery and a three-line "D" in blue and white enclosing a spray of violets in the same colors, the capital on a burnished gold ground, the same side WITH A FULL SWIRLING BORDER of acanthus leaves, flowers, and berries, and many burnished gold ivy leaves ENCLOSING A BLOODY ILLUMINATED MINIATURE OF THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS (measuring approximately 78 x 54 mm.). âFore and lower margins on the side with the miniature a bit rubbed and with a faint patina reflecting frequent use (also, minor fading and loss of paint and gold in the same place), otherwise in fine condition, THE MINIATURE itself REMARKABLY WELL PRESERVED, WITHOUT ANY EROSION OF PIGMENT. This leaf comes from a Book of Hours decorated by extremely skilled members of what must have been a first-class workshop. The Massacre of the Innocents cannot help but be a moving subject, and the composition here as well as the painter's considerable ability add to the emotional impact in the present miniature. The center of the scene is dominated by the gold-armored, gray-bearded soldier whose sword is raised over the head of a woman clinging to her son. The blood-spattered foreground is littered with the dismembered bodies of infants, looking like so many broken dolls. On the left, we see a row of modest cottages, providing considerable depth as they recede toward distant hills. On the right stands a crowd of grim-faced soldiers, all as elderly as their commander, and seemingly following orders that are unwelcomed; it is perhaps the acute sadness in their faces that makes this scene especially memorable. The clear sky, green fields, and serene blue mountains in the distance contrast markedly with the horrific events unfolding. Seller Inventory # ST11774-85
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