Black Hours, MS M493

Pentecost, Folio 18v, c 1475-80. Morgan Library & Museum, New York. Each folio 170 x 122 mm

The Black Hours, MS M493 (French: Livre d'heures Noir, German: Schwarzes Stundenbuch) is an illuminated book of hours usually dated to c 1475-80, originating in Bruges,^[1] now in the collection of the Morgan Library & Museum, New York. It consists of 121 leaves, of which 14 contain illustrations, the others contain text in rows of 14 lines, in Latin with gold and sliver lettering. The book has a dark blue appearance;^[2] the pig skin vellum was stained with ink, over which the text is written in sliver and gold. Its borders are ornamented with flowers and foliage. The book opens with a calendar (folios 3-15) followed by the Hours of the Virgin (folios 15-98).^[3]

MS M493 has been described as a masterpiece of Gothic manuscript illumination, and "of unequaled luxury".^[4] It is one of seven extant Black books of hours, all dating from mid to late 15th century Flanders.^[5] The black and dark-blue backgrounds were achieved by immersing vellum in an iron-copper solution,^[2] and the parchment pre-soaked in black ink.^[6]

No records survive of its creators or original owners, but the quality and expensive rarity of its production and its uniquely dark tone suggest commission by privileged and sophisticated members of the Burgundian laity. It is usually attributed to the circle of Willem Vrelant, the leading Flemish illuminator of his generation.

Black hours

Folios from the "Horae Beatae Marie Secundum usum Curie Romane", c. 1458

The Morgan book is the best preserved of the surviving black manuscripts, in large part because of its unusually thick parchment leaves which protected the lettering from the chemical effect of the black dye, and allowed the Morgan to keep it in codex form, rather than having to place leaves in acrylic panes, as is the case with the Vienna Black Prayer Book.^[7] The manuscript has deteriorated in areas, especially in the black of the vellum, where flaking is evident.^[8] According to the Morgan, the manuscript has been scheduled for treatment and repair.^[9]

Jean Wauquelin presenting his 'Chroniques de Hainaut' to Philip the Good, attributed to Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1447

The Burgundian court of the time had a preference for dark, somber colourisation, and the extant works in this style were mostly commissioned for them.^[10] They favored the contrast of black against gold and silver, a matter of taste that was reflected in their formal dress,^[7] seen for example in Rogier van der Weyden's contemporary Jean Wauquelin presenting his 'Chroniques de Hainaut' to Philip the Good. The Morgan miniatures are linked to a follower of Willem Vrelant due to the stylistic resemblance with some of the faces in his known works, while the angular and linear manner of painting the figure's clothes is also consistent with his style.^[7]

Commission

MS M493 is usually attributed to a member of the circle of the Flemish painter Willem Vrelant, the leading Flemish illustrator of his generation,^[11] or (less likely) to the French painter Philippe de Mazerolles (d. 1479) or the workshop of Liévin van Lathem (active 1454-93). Stylisticically and paleographically, it is unlikely to have been executed earlier than 1475.^[9][1]

It was intended for the first rank of nobility: the artwork is of a sophisticated, or at least unusual taste, and the pages are supposed to have carried an almost mystical aura for the owner^[12] There is no family crest indicating the donor, who, given the expense of the book and its dating, must have been a high-ranking member of court;^[12] art historians speculate it was commissioned by or for Charles the Bold.^[3] There are no tile or inventory records until the 19th century. The manuscript was in the collection of Cardinal Nicholas Yemeniz from 1867 until sold it to Ambroise Firmin-Didot in 1871.^[9] It was later acquired by Robert Hoe,^[13] prior to its sale to the Pierpont Morgan Library in 1912.^[12]

Description

Foilo

The manuscript consists of 122 pages, each measuring c. 17 x 12 cm, of which 14 contain full page miniatures. These are placed opposite the beginning of one of the prayers, and based on their style, can be placed between 1460 and 1475. There are 138 borders, and 15 large and several small signatures. Typically the biblical characters are clothed in a Gothic dress. The initials are made from gold leaf on an emerald ground, and typically extend across lines of text.^[4] The text is inscribed in Latin.^[12]

Binding

It is bound in tan pigskin and tied with oxidized silver clasps, stamped with signature, probably modern, "Y"'s around the corners of the outer skin.^[9] The book was rebound for Nicholas Yemenzi by Trautz-Bauzonnet in the 19th century. It is in a box case, also modern.^[3]

Vellum

Folios 9v–10r. Calendar; recto: August, verso: September

The colour scheme is mostly dark tones, with some reds, old rose, greens, grays, light flesh tones and whites. The dark and solemn appearance is in marked contrast to the bright colourisation found in even the highest quality books of the day and seems to reflect a rather gloomy and mournful outlook.^[12]

The dramatic effect of the black and dark-blue backgrounds was achieved by immersing the vellum in an iron-copper solution before using gold or silver when applying the text. It is one of only seven known manuscripts in this style, all originating from the lower Netherlands. Because of the production process, the book would have been considerably more expensive and highly prized than conventional manuscripts. In addition, because of the difficulty in sourcing it, blue pigment was expensive, and its dominance in this work further implies the wealth and status of its owner.^[14]

The blues are made up of a number of variants of the hue, each of varying depths of colour.^[7] The borders were ornamented exclusively in gold and are shaded mostly with black. They are decorated with yellow or gold filigree and extravagant foliage, including vines. The borders in places contain jagged acanthus scrolls, as well as birds, small animals, and grotesques, the latter similar to those found in the Viennese Hours.^[7]

Miniatures

The Crucifixion, opp: Calendar. "Black Hours", Pierpont Morgan Library M. 493 (14v/15r)

The manuscript contains fourteen full-page miniatures depicting the lives of the Virgin and Christ, usually placed opposite a holy day from the liturgical year. The miniatures are all on the left (verso) side of the open pages. Typically the biblical figures are dressed in late medieval or Gothic clothes or dress; in folio 76v David is dressed in the ceremonial robes of a 15th-century monarch.^[7]

Folio 18v: Pentecost (opposite "Hours of the Holy Spirit: Matins")

The best known is that of the Crucifixion (folio 14v), the borders of which contain fantastical creatures and a peacock. The main figures are Mary and St John, flanked by two nobles engaged in discussion, probably questioning if the man on the cross were really the Son of God. The mourners' elegantly displayed expressions are of deep sadness and loss. Behind are the sparsely drawn walls of Jerusalem shown against a deep blue sky.^[12]

Art historian Walter Ingo described folio 18v, depicting the Pentecost, or Descent of the Holy Spirit, as evidencing the "unusual, exquisite and precious overall effect of that is generated by using the technique of fixing an illumination on a piece of black dyed parchment".^[12] Rinceau and flowery border decorations outline a depiction of Mary at the center of the court of the Apostles. The gilded "D" to the right references the opening letter of the Hours of the Holy Spirit.^[12]

The following is a complete list of the miniatures^[9]

References

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Black hours - Morgan Lib M493.

• Catalog entry, Morgan Library
• Full set of digitized images, Morgan Library