Dr. Jörn Günther • Antiquariat
www.guenther-rarebooks.com

CONTENTS

Manuscripts

  1. Glossed Gospels of St Luke and St John,
    Paris or northern France, c. 1210
  2. Psalter with calendar for the diocese of Trier,
    Germany,Trier, c. 1220-40
  3. Psalter and book of hours for the use of Paris,
    illuminated in the du Prat atelier, France, Paris,
    c. 1250-60
  4. Biblia latina, pocket bible, France, Paris, c. 1250
  5. Antiphonary, sanctoral volume, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, c. 1270-75
  6. Psalter for the use of Auxerre, France,
    Burgundy or Paris, c. 1300
  7. Antiphonary for a Franciscan convent,
    illuminated by Neri da Rimini, Italy,
    Emilia-Romagna, dated 1314
  8. Vita Sancti Antonii Eremitae – Inventio et
    Translatio, illuminated by the Maestro del 1328,
    Italy, Bologna, c. 1320
  9. Schönrainer Liederhandschrift. Middle High
    German Minnesang manuscript, Germany,
    Hesse, c. 1330
  10. Missale Romanum, illuminated in the workshop
    of Cristoforo Orimina, Italy, Naples, c. 1355
  11. Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae and
    Jean de Meun, Testament, France, Paris, c. 1400
  12. Guido de Columna, Historia destructionis Troiae
    and Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Filostrato, Italy,
    Naples, dated 1414 and 1413
  13. Book of hours for the use of Paris, illuminated
    by the workshop of the Bedford Master, France,
    Paris, c. 1405-10
  14. Compilation of pastoral and mystical texts
    from the library of the Celestines of Marcoussis,
    illuminated by the Hoo Master, France, Paris,
    c. 1425-35
  15. Book of hours for the use of Toul, illuminated
    by the Master of Pommersfelden 351, France,
    Toul or Metz, c. 1435-40
  16. Dominican hymnal, illuminated by the
    Master of 1446, Italy, Bologna, c. 1450
  17. Nicolaus de Lyra, Postilla litteralis super
    Vetus Testamentum, two volumes, Italy,
    Ferrara?, 1441-46
  18. Compilation of history bible and world chronicle,
    the Antichrist and the XV signs and other texts,
    Austria, c. 1450
  19. Book of hours and psalter in Dutch, illuminated
    by the Master of the Haarlem Bible, Masters of
    Otto von Moerdrecht, Masters of Gijsbrecht
    van Brederode et al., northern Netherlands,
    Haarlem, dated 1453
  20. Book of hours for the use of Rome, with
    calendar of Bruges, illuminated by the Master of
    Buchanan E.5, Flanders, Bruges, c. 1450-60
  21. Chronique anonyme universelle, parchment
    scroll, illuminated by the Master of Étienne
    Sauderat, France, Paris?, c. 1450 with additions
    after 1461 and 1467
  22. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated
    by the workshop of Bartolomeo Varnucci,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1460-70
  23. Martin Le Franc, L’Estrif de Fortune et de Vertu,
    illuminated by the Master of the Échevinage
    de Rouen, France, Rouen, c. 1465-75
  24. Book of hours for the use of Utrecht in the Dutch
    translation of Geert Grote, illuminated by one of
    the Masters of Gijsbrecht van Brederode, northern
    Netherlands, probably Utrecht, c. 1465-70
  25. Missale Fratrum Minorum for the convent
    of S. Francesco di Montone, near Perugia,
    illuminated by Bartelomeo and Giapeco
    Caporali, Italy, Perugia, 1469
  26. Book of hours for the use of Rome with
    adaptations for Poitiers and a calendar for
    Angers, illuminated by Maître François,
    France, Paris, c. 1470
  27. Psalter with hymnal, illuminated by the
    workshop of Mariano del Buono di Jacopo,
    Italy, Florence, c. 1470-75
  28. Book of hours for the use of Rome, illuminated
    by Martino da Modena, Italy, Ferrara, c. 1480-85
  29. Book of hours for Dominican use, illuminated
    by the workshop of Matteo Felice, Italy,
    Naples, c. 1480
  30. Giovanni Boccaccio, Elegia di Madonna
    Fiammetta, illuminated by Attavante degli
    Attavanti, Italy, Florence, c. 1480
  31. Book of hours for the use of Rome, Italy,
    Sicily or Naples, c. 1480-90
  32. Olivier de la Marche, Le chevalier délibéré and
    other texts, Flanders, c. 1484
  33. Prayerbook in German, Germany, Nuremberg,
    c. 1495-1500
  34. Fencing treatise with pen-and-ink drawings,
    southern Germany,Augsburg, c. 1490-1500
  35. Book of hours for the use of Paris in Latin
    and French, illuminated by an artist from the
    circle of Jean Pichore, France, Paris, c. 1500
  36. Passion prayerbook in Latin with a prayer for
    the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg, Flanders,
    Bruges, after 1517
  37. Diploma for Statilio Paolino on his award of a
    doctorate in law from the University of
    Perugia, Italy, Perugia, dated 29 October 1582
  38. Album with Italian, mainly Venetian, costumes and
    characters from the Commedia dell’Arte, Italy,
    Venice?, first quarter of the 17th century

    Miniatures

  39. Funeral mass for a dignitary, miniature from a
    breviary, France,Avignon, c. 1340-45 128
  40. A pope distributing the decretals, miniature from
    a manuscript of canon law, France, Languedoc,
    c. 1320
  41. The Adoration of the Magi, historiated initial ‘D’
    on a leaf from a missal, Italy, Siena, c. 1400-10
  42. Two martyr saints, historiated initial ‘P’ on a leaf
    from a gradual for Lucca Cathedral, illuminated by
    Martino di Bartolomeo. Italy, Lucca, c. 1394-95
  43. Investiture of St Clare on a cutting from a
    Franciscan antiphonary, Italy, Bologna or Veneto,
    c. 1430-40
  44. Trinity, historiated initial ‘G’ on a cutting from
    a choirbook, France, Savoy, c. 1450 138
  45. King David playing the psaltery, historiated
    initial ‘E’ on a leaf from a psalter, illuminated by
    Jacopo da Balsemo, Italy, Bergamo, c. 1450-55
  46. The Creation of Eve, historiated initial ‘I’ on a
    cutting from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Bonifacio Bembo, Italy, Lombardy, c. 1445
  47. Jesaia before the Almighty, historiated initial ‘A’
    on a leaf from an antiphonary, illuminated by
    a follower of the Maestro delle Vitae Imperatorum,
    Italy, Lombardy, c. 1460
  48. Batsheba bathing, miniature from the Hours of
    Guyot II Le Peley, illuminated by Jean Colombe,
    France, Bourges, c. 1480
  49. The miracle of St Michael on Mount Gargano,
    miniature from a choirbook, illuminated by
    Attavante degli Attavanti, Italy, Florence,
    between 1473 and 1502
  50. Christ taking leave of his mother, miniature
    mounted on wood, illuminated by Jacopo del
    Giallo?, Italy, Rome, c. 1540

    Key to bibliographical references

A hitherto unknown book of hours for a noble patron with an ingenious miniature cycle by Maître François

26 Book of hours, use of Rome, with adaptations to the use of Poitiers and a calendar for Angers

Manuscript on vellum, illuminated by Maître François. France, Paris, c. 1470.

102 x 80 mm. 151+2 leaves. I10, II8, III10, IV8,V1 (37, the remaining (seven?) leaves of the quire are missing),VI8-1,VII8,VIII8-2, IX-XII8, XIII12+3, XIV-XVIII8, XIX8-2+2 (146-153, lacks 1 before fol. 146, and at least one after 150, 151 blank, fol. 152 and 153 are inserted singletons, cut from waste paper, containing Spanish prayers in a 16th-century hand, the stubs are filled with fragmentary lines of text in a gothic book hand). Foliation in pencil. – Written space: 51 x 35 mm, ruled in purple for 11 lines.Text written in a fine Cursiva Formata (Bastarda), rubricated in purple. The colouring scheme of the minor initials changes several times throughout the manuscript, some quires contain golden initials on an alternately blue and red ground, others on a brown ground. One four-line historiated initial (fol. 95). 15 (of probably 16 originally) miniatures above two lines of text, one full-page miniature, all magnificently decorated by full borders of coloured flowers, red and blue acanthus leaves with fruits, birds and butterflies, many of them on gold ground. – 16th-century blind-stamped black leather binding, covers panelled with floral roll-tool, gilt edges. Spine restored (upper joint slightly cracked), modern vellum endpapers, modern book case.

PROVENANCE: 1.The coat-of-arms of the patron appears on fol. 24, 29, 56v, 64v. It is composed of a golden plant or tree with three ramifications on a red ground (“De gueules au créquier d’or”). In addition the two initials ‘D’ and ‘M’ joined by a love-knot can be found on fol. 19, 24, 26v, 56v, 64v, 70. This coat-of-arms has been connected with the Créquy, a noble family resident in Artois and Picardie, whose coat-of-arms, however, shows an exact inversion of the heraldic colours (“D’or au créquier de gueules”). Although their family estates are situated in a considerable distance to the region for whose use the book of hours is adapted, it is not impossible that its first owner belonged to this family. 2. Unknown Spanish owner, who, probably during the 16th century, added the prayers in Spanish (fol. 152 and 153) and possibly also arranged for a new binding of the manuscript. Probably a member of the Franciscan order as evidenced by the Invocation of St Francis at the end of the prayers. 3. Engel-Gros, Paris, his sale at Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 2 June 1921, lot 10. 4.André Hachette, his sale at Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 16 December 1953, lot 22 (bookplate on the inside of front cover). 5. R. Zierer (bookplate on the inside of front cover). 6. Sold in London (Sotheby’s, 5 December 1989, lot 110). 7. Private collection Europe.

TEXT: fol. 1-18v: Calendar in French, among the saints figure the names of a number of bishops of Angers – fol. 19- 18v: Gospel lessons – fol. 29-94v: Office of the Virgin; some passages of Matins missing; alternating with Hours of the Cross, beginning missing (before fol. 56) and Hours of the Holy Spirit; fol. 95-98v:“O intemerata”; fol. 98v: Suffrage to St Peter and Paul – fol. 99-104: Office for Advent; fol. 104v- 105v: blank – fol. 106-136: Penitential Psalms; fol. 123v: Litany – fol. 136v-150v: Office of the Dead, lacks one leaf between fol. 145 and 146, text breaks off during Matins, shortly before the ending of the first nocturn. Second and third nocturns are missing, it is uncertain, however, whether they ever existed – fol. 152v-153: Prayers in Spanish, added during the 16th century.

ILLUMINATION: fol. 19: St John on Patmos – fol. 21v: St Luke – fol. 24: St Matthew – fol. 26v: St Mark - fol. 29: Annunciation – fol. 41:Visitation (Crucifixion missing) – fol. 56v: Pentecost – fol. 58: Nativity – fol. 64v:Annunciation to the Shepherds – fol. 70: Adoration of the Magi – fol. 75v: Presentation – fol. 81: Herod giving orders for the Massacre of the Innocents – fol. 89v: Coronation of the Virgin – fol. 95: Virgin with child (historiated initial), fol. 106: David praying – fol. 136v: Battle scene – fol. 143: Funeral scene. A very characteristic feature of the artist are the arches composed of carved tracery and supported by polychrome columns that serve as frames to all scenes set in an interior. Another hallmark is the colour scheme employed on the figures, consisting of grisaille technique with pale violet shades. The movements of the figures are rather schematic, without any inventive or original postures, but their gesturing is precise and easily decipherable. The landscapes are beautifully enriched by vistas onto cities. This stylistic idiom can be connected with Maître François, an artist who is documented by archival records. His name is mentioned in a letter by Robert Gaguin who reports that the painter (“egregius pictor Franciscus”) could possibly be engaged for the illumination of the Cité de Dieu manuscript commissioned by Charles de Gaucourt (Paris, BN, fr. 18-19) which constitutes the key to the œuvre of Maître François. The illumination of this manuscript was executed between 1469, the date of the explicit, and 1473, the date of the letter. The extremely prolific workshop of Maître François dominated Parisian manuscript illumination during the third quarter of the 15th century. Over 50 manuscripts are attributable to the master and his workshop, among them luxurious commissions for influential patrons such as Charles de Gaucourt, Jacques d’Armagnac, Philippe de Commyne, Jacques Langeac and Mathieu Beauvarlet.The artist’s œuvre comprises about 30 books of hours of small or medium size (Avril/Reynaud 1993, p. 45). This only recently rediscovered manuscript is a select product of the workshop of Maître François. It was made to the order of a specific patron, in all likelihood a member of the Créquy family, whose taste differed from the conventional as is attested e.g. by the choice of subjects in the illustration cycle which includes a miniature of Herod giving his order for the Massacre of the Innocents - a subject of great rarity in manuscript illumination, specifically in French books of hours - and a battle scene introducing the Office of the Dead, a choice that is probably unique.

LITERATURE: Sales cat. Engel-Gros 1921, lot 10; sales cat.A. Hachette 1953, lot 22; sales cat. Sotheby’s 5 Dec. 1989, lot 110. Spencer, 1974; Manion 1981; Sterling 1990, pp. 192-213; König 1993, no. 21, pp. 340-355; Avril/Reynaud 1993, nos. 14-17, pp. 45-52; Milman 1995.