Hours of Henry VIII — Hours of Charles of Angoulême — Hours of Henry IV of France The Hours of Henry VIII, Jean Poyer’s On the manuscript’s last blank masterpiece, receives its name from leaf, there is a note supplied by King Henry VIII of England, se- George Wade (1673-1748), one of cond monarch of the House of its owners: Tudor. It is documented that the manuscript belonged to a series In the Year 1723, being at Mons and of later English kings. For exam- hearing of This Book as the greatest ple, there is proof that between the Curiosity of its kind, I found it in the eighteenth and nineteenth centu- hands of Mons[ieu]r Charle Benoit Des- ries it still belonged to the library manet a Gent[lema]n of that Town, of George III (1738-1820). It is a (and after his Death procured it from his lavish work of incomparable Executors) he Shew’d it me with great dramatic force, fit for England’s care and precaution not Suffering me to most fascinating and passionate touch it, but turn’d over the leaves with monarch. a Small pair of Silver Tongues made Jean Poyer’s career as a painter for that purpose, And perceiving me to was short, from 1483 to 1503, but Smile at this Nicety, he said with some he was famous for being a master Warmth, Sir In this manner my Ances- colourist and a genius at composi- tors for above a hundred Years past have Hours of tion and perspective. In the Hours preserved this Book from blemish and in Henry VIII of Henry VIII, the beauty of the the Perfection you now see it; He told me Franciscan Calendar is good proof likewise That the Tradition of the Fam- of his reputation and, among ily was That it was formerly A Present other sections as the Office of the from the Emperor Charles the Fifth to Dead and the Hours of the Virgin, Henry the Eighth King of England, and makes this manuscript a peerless that after his Death it was taken out of treasure. his Closet and brought into Flanders; The manuscript is bound The Painter is Unknown; • Shelf mark: MS H.8 in red velvet. Its clasps contain George Wade. • Date: c. 1500 Henry VIII’s coat of arms (three • Provenance: France fleur-de-lis quarterly 1 and 4, • Size: ±265 x 182 mm three lions passant guardant quar- • Painter: Jean Poyer terly 2 and 3). They also contain his • 400 pages with 55 full-page miniatures • Bound in red velvet with clasps monogram H.8.R (Henricus Octavus • Full colour commentary volume Rex) and his famous motto, Honi (236 pp.) by Roger Wieck, curator at the Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (Shame on Morgan Library & Museum him who evil thinks). A lavish work of incomparable dramatic force Tel. Spain +34 932 402 091 Tel. f. 1r www.moleiro.com f. 13r f. 94v Tel. UK +44 (0)20 7193 4986 Tel. www.moleiro.com/online f. 21v Tel. USA 1305 831 4986 Tel. f. 182v www.moleiro.com f. 185v The audacious illuminations in vanity as a prince – according to with the usual conventions of books this book painted for Charles of Ahuva Belkin’s allegorical inter- of this genre. Angoulême make this manuscript pretation (f. 41v). It would only be a slight exagger- the most splendid example of its In addition, it is significant that ation to describe this codex as an prolific genre: the book of hours. the folios most likely to inspire de- extraordinary artistic melting pot Such boldness, which could on- votion, such as those in the bibli- that almost undermines and des- ly stem from a profound intellectu- cal cycle of the Passion, Death and ecrates the religious intent of the al understanding between the artist Resurrection of Christ, are not sole- book of hours. This manuscript is and the patron, extends beyond the ly the work of Robinet: they are an antithesis of the book of hours, concept of the book of hours, i.e. based on a series of twelve prints by in short, an anti-book of hours. an instrument of personal prayer Israhel van Meckenem (I.M) which Three of its illuminations are for its owner. Testard coloured using his charac- particularly captivating: the live- Perhaps the licentiousness that teristic and magnificent pallet. ly pastoral dance in the Annuncia- characterised the French court for The fact that Robinet Testard tion to the Shepherds with consum- centuries, the lack of religious inhi- chose not to paint the holy of holies mate naturalism above all in the bition of a prince as powerful as the of this book of hours himself and traits and movements of the male Count of Angoulême and the scien- preferred to incorporate work by figures; the mysterious scene of the Hours of Charles tific acumen of such a true natural- other painters (Jean Bourdichon) Death of the Centaur and his rider, ist as Robinet Testard can help ex- or printmakers (Israhel van Meck- the Wild Woman, with its mytholog- of Angoulême plain this feat in the closing stages enem) should be interpreted not as ical tones and two allegorical inter- of the Middle Ages. a desire to appropriate the artistry pretations: ethical (the struggle be- In any case, rather than an ide- of others but rather as an indication tween good and evil) and political al instrument for personal prayer, of the artist’s intellectual upright- (the death of Louis XI, “the spider this book was apparently an effec- ness and refusal to compromise his king”, and his daughter Madame tive medium for the personal en- own principles by portraying scenes Anne of Beaujeu); and the legend- tertainment of Charles of Valois, with which he could not, as a natu- ary scene of the prince, St George of a codex deliberately designed and ralist, fully empathise. Cappadocia and the Queen of Lyd- • Shelf mark: Latin 1173 manufactured to arouse his curi- Furthermore, the addition of ex- ia, an illustration ideal for a book of • Date: c. 1485 • Provenance: France osity (f. 52v), distract him from traneous secular elements – includ- chivalry but completely out of place • Size: ± 215 x 155 mm worldly matters (ff. 28v and 52r), ing daily (ff. 4v and 20v), mytholog- in a book of hours. • Artist: Robinet Testard make him laugh (ff. 3r, 4v and ical (f. 41v) and chivalrous (f. 53v) • 230 pages, 5r), foster his fondness for the motifs – plus the lengthy Passover 38 full-page miniatures arts (ff. 16v and 26v) and his love narrative in the vernacular (ff. 60r • Crimson leather binding with of the jovial pastoral life (f. 20v), - 115v) in a book which is by defi- gilt border • Full-colour commentary volume and delight this avid reader of love nition entirely or predominantly by Maxence Hermant and stories (f. 2v) and books of chival- Latin, all emphasises how original Séverine Lepape ry (f. 53v) whilst still satisfying his this manuscript is in comparison A totally original and unorthodox book of hours Tel. UK +44 (0)20 7193 4986 Tel. f. 1v www.moleiro.com f. 4v f. 20v Tel. USA 1305 831 4986 Tel. www.moleiro.com/online f. 7v f. 41v www.moleiro.com Tel. Spain +34 932 402 091 f. 22v f. 52v Tel. UK +44 (0)20 7193 4986 Tel. www.moleiro.com/online f. 52r f. 89v www.moleiro.com Tel. USA 1305 831 4986 f. 53v This book of hours is so magnifi- of grisaille illumination from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, cent that its royal owner, Henry IV turn of the 16th century. Final- the text is written in black and the of France, associated himself with ly, the calendar, and also the four headings in red. The saints’ names it by having his arms stamped on small scenes of the Passion set in- in the calendar are written in alter- its front and back covers. Over the side the columns of text, are illus- nating red and black ink. centuries, the manuscript was safe- trated with line drawings upon a guarded in the royal collections, gilded ground. first at the Louvre Palace and then, To learn more about its attribu- from 1720 onwards, in the King’s tion, we must rely on what the many Library. images themselves can tell us. Ac- cording to art historians, the style is UNUSUAL very similar to that of the atelier of ICONOGRAPHY Jean Pichore, a prolific Parisian illu- minator influenced by Jean Bourdi- It is obvious upon opening this chon and Jean Poyer. François Avril manuscript, that it is a unique and is of the opinion that one artist in outstanding work, a manuscript this atelier has distinguishing fea- that literally shines with a thou- tures that can be recognised in sev- Hours of sand lights – the least one can say eral manuscripts including the one about a codex whose every page of under study here. Henry IV text has a gilded ground. The mar- of France gins are delicately and stylishly dec- A TEXT IN KEEPING orated with foliage motifs. Another WITH TRADITION rare and surprising element occur- ring on several occasions is where In all other respects, the ninety fo- the letters of the alphabet are used lia in this manuscript embody all to fill the borders. the most traditional features of the But these are not the only un- book of hours typical of that peri- usual elements. Unlike the cus- od, i.e. a calendar, Gospel lessons, • Shelf mark: Latin 1171 tom in that period, the large ini- prayers to the Virgin, the Passion • Date: Late 15th – early 16th century tials are painted white with purple according to St John, the Hours of (?) highlights.