The Book of Hours: A Medieval Bestseller and Its Enduring Legacy
Between approximately 1100 AD and the late 1500s, illuminated manuscripts known as the Book of Hours were extensively created in Medieval Europe, commissioned by individuals who dictated their content. These texts were intended for personal worship, enabling prayer every three hours and featuring calendars of holidays and saints' days, as exemplified by the De Grey Hours. Often designed for easy transport, Simon Bening's miniature version measures less than three inches and shows signs of wear from frequent use. Serving both artistic and devotional purposes, they included elaborate illustrations, such as Saint Michael fighting devils. The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, credited to Jean Le Noir, portrays Christ's side wound as a vulva, symbolizing the inception of Christianity. Similar texts are found in other faiths, with modern counterparts like the Farmer's Almanac.
Key facts
- Books of Hours were produced from around 1100 AD into the late 1500s.
- They were commissioned by individuals who controlled their content.
- They contained prayers for recitation every three hours.
- Calendars in Books of Hours listed holidays and feast days.
- Simon Bening created a miniature Book of Hours less than three inches on either side.
- The Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg includes a stylized depiction of Christ's side wound as a vulva.
- Bonne of Luxembourg had nine children.
- The Jewish Haggadah and Buddhist sutras are comparable texts.
- The Farmer's Almanac and guided journals are modern equivalents.
Entities
Artists
- Simon Bening
- Jean Le Noir
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- National Library of Wales
- V&A Museum
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Wales
- United Kingdom
- London
- England
- Köln
- Germany