ca. 1430 · Northern France
by A MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM A BOOK OF HOURS, WITH A MINIATURE OF THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS ATTRIBUTED TO THE WORKSHOP OF THE BEDFORD MASTER
Northern France, ca. 1430. 240 x 185 mm. (9 1/2 x 7 1/4"). Single column, verso with 15 lines, in an attractive gothic hand.
Rubrics in red, line-enders in pink and blue with white tracery and small gilt shapes, one two-line initial in blue with white tracery and filled with pink and blue leaves, on a burnished gold ground with hairline extenders bearing gilt leaves, one three-line initial similarly painted but with spiky gilt extenders, these connecting thick vertical and horizontal bar borders painted pink and/or blue with gilt caps and a centerpiece, a thinner vertical gilt and painted bar on the opposite side, A LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE DEPICTING THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS, one of the shepherds sitting and the other standing, a small dog in the foreground, a herd of sheep in the background, and an angel emerging from a gilt half-circle in the sky, bearing a banderole with the words "puer natus est et filius nobis," all this surrounded by A FULL BORDER of hairline vines with many gilt leaves, colorful flowers, and acanthus, the verso with a single thin bar on one side and partial border, the leaf extended on two sides with cuttings from the border of another leaf clearly from the same manuscript, giving the illusion of a much wider decorative border. With remnants of small paper mounting tabs on all sides. See: Avril and Reynaud, pp. 23-24. â—†Minor paint loss to faces of two shepherds, a bit of smudging to the borders (mostly noticeable on the extensions on the verso), but a very attractive leaf, the miniature fresh and very well preserved.
This skillfully executed miniature features a lovely composition, sophisticated palette, and details that associate it with the workshop of the Bedford Master. The Annunciation to the Shepherds is often one of the most charming scenes to be found in any Book of Hours, and this example is no exception. Our two shepherds seem to have been enjoying a moment of rest from their labors when the angel Gabriel bursts with great radiance onto the scene, bearing a banner announcing the birth of Christ. The shepherd sitting on the left still holds his bagpipes, as if caught mid-song, while the standing shepherd on the right shades his eyes from the dazzling golden rays that accompany the angel's arrival. Although their canine companion takes no notice, several sheep pause their grazing to look up at the miraculous event (amusingly, their dumbfounded looks are not unlike those on the faces of the shepherds). The scene is largely painted in pale greens, pinks, and white, coupled with beautiful dark blue and charcoal gray garments. Named after three spectacular manuscripts made for John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, the so-called Bedford Master ran an important and highly influential atelier in Paris, inspiring followers and imitators. The Bedford Master was especially active around 1420-30, but his hand can be found in miniatures as early as 1409 (including the "Grandes Heures" of Jean de Berry), and his workshop continued to flourish into the 1430s and beyond. The present composition shares some notable similarities to the Annunciation to the Shepherds found in the Bedford Hours (BL Add. 18850), including the small silver stream and distinctive tree in the foreground. Also, the standing shepherd with his hat pushed to his back and the sitting shepherd with a small sack around his waist make an appearance in the Bedford Hours, as does the sleeping hound. Even the angels share near-identical hairstyles and show similar calligraphic flourishes on their banderoles. We also note certain stylistic preferences of the Chief Associate and successor of the Bedford Master, later known as the Dunois Master, who favored soft colors similar to those seen in the present miniature. A former owner took the unusual step of "enhancing" the leaf on two sides with matching borders cut from another leaf from the same parent manuscript, giving the illusion of even wider borders on an already generously-sized leaf. This, in a way, is an unfortunate addition, but it allows for the superbly painted miniature to be offered at a price that is dramatically less than if its borders had not been enlarged.. (Inventory #: ST19950)
Rubrics in red, line-enders in pink and blue with white tracery and small gilt shapes, one two-line initial in blue with white tracery and filled with pink and blue leaves, on a burnished gold ground with hairline extenders bearing gilt leaves, one three-line initial similarly painted but with spiky gilt extenders, these connecting thick vertical and horizontal bar borders painted pink and/or blue with gilt caps and a centerpiece, a thinner vertical gilt and painted bar on the opposite side, A LARGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE DEPICTING THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS, one of the shepherds sitting and the other standing, a small dog in the foreground, a herd of sheep in the background, and an angel emerging from a gilt half-circle in the sky, bearing a banderole with the words "puer natus est et filius nobis," all this surrounded by A FULL BORDER of hairline vines with many gilt leaves, colorful flowers, and acanthus, the verso with a single thin bar on one side and partial border, the leaf extended on two sides with cuttings from the border of another leaf clearly from the same manuscript, giving the illusion of a much wider decorative border. With remnants of small paper mounting tabs on all sides. See: Avril and Reynaud, pp. 23-24. â—†Minor paint loss to faces of two shepherds, a bit of smudging to the borders (mostly noticeable on the extensions on the verso), but a very attractive leaf, the miniature fresh and very well preserved.
This skillfully executed miniature features a lovely composition, sophisticated palette, and details that associate it with the workshop of the Bedford Master. The Annunciation to the Shepherds is often one of the most charming scenes to be found in any Book of Hours, and this example is no exception. Our two shepherds seem to have been enjoying a moment of rest from their labors when the angel Gabriel bursts with great radiance onto the scene, bearing a banner announcing the birth of Christ. The shepherd sitting on the left still holds his bagpipes, as if caught mid-song, while the standing shepherd on the right shades his eyes from the dazzling golden rays that accompany the angel's arrival. Although their canine companion takes no notice, several sheep pause their grazing to look up at the miraculous event (amusingly, their dumbfounded looks are not unlike those on the faces of the shepherds). The scene is largely painted in pale greens, pinks, and white, coupled with beautiful dark blue and charcoal gray garments. Named after three spectacular manuscripts made for John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, the so-called Bedford Master ran an important and highly influential atelier in Paris, inspiring followers and imitators. The Bedford Master was especially active around 1420-30, but his hand can be found in miniatures as early as 1409 (including the "Grandes Heures" of Jean de Berry), and his workshop continued to flourish into the 1430s and beyond. The present composition shares some notable similarities to the Annunciation to the Shepherds found in the Bedford Hours (BL Add. 18850), including the small silver stream and distinctive tree in the foreground. Also, the standing shepherd with his hat pushed to his back and the sitting shepherd with a small sack around his waist make an appearance in the Bedford Hours, as does the sleeping hound. Even the angels share near-identical hairstyles and show similar calligraphic flourishes on their banderoles. We also note certain stylistic preferences of the Chief Associate and successor of the Bedford Master, later known as the Dunois Master, who favored soft colors similar to those seen in the present miniature. A former owner took the unusual step of "enhancing" the leaf on two sides with matching borders cut from another leaf from the same parent manuscript, giving the illusion of even wider borders on an already generously-sized leaf. This, in a way, is an unfortunate addition, but it allows for the superbly painted miniature to be offered at a price that is dramatically less than if its borders had not been enlarged.. (Inventory #: ST19950)
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