Book of Hours Leaf

Book of Hours Leaf

French, 1400

Language: Latin

Single leaf

ink on parchment
height 3-11/16 inches
width 2-1/2 inches

Portland Art Museum, The Vivian and Gordon Gilkey Graphic Arts Collection, 80.122.551

Doniella George, Medieval Portland Capstone Student, Summer 2005

This small single sheet from a French Book of Hours is dated approximately to 1400 CE. This piece is on a very small scale, being about 3.5 inches tall by 2 inches wide. It appears to have been cut on the right side of the page, as the left margin in twice as wide as the right; also, the left side of the page has a smooth, defined edge and the right does not. The page contains a single column of text, and the majority of the ink is either a faded black or a brown, on close examination. There are beautiful accent colors of red, blue and gold; the red and blue are vivid, while there are grayish-green spots on the gold in some spots, which may be oxidation or worn spots. The capital letter “G” in the upper right-hand corner has the most elaborate embellishments, with decorative, fine red line-work that accent the large blue letter. Close inspection of the page show either a slight bleed-through of ink, or ink transfer on various areas of the page, and some light lining underneath the script can still be seen, as well. The quality of the calligraphy is extremely high, and it was written in a clear hand with no irregularities.

France was a hub of output of Books of Hours, especially during the 14th and 15th centuries, of which the select page is an example. It was much later that these Books were sometimes sold to collectors as single sheets, to maximize profits for the seller in the modern art market. That this page was separated from the rest of the original pages, and because it has no identifying images, makes it difficult to identify not only the artist (or workshop), but prevents us from identifying a patron or specific region and date of production.

The text can be difficult to read for modern viewers, due to the highly stylized paleography. However, certain series of latin phrases, such as, “Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates et quorum tecta sunt peccata” can be translated to mean, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” The highly stylized letter “G” begins the “Gloria” that begins the phrases identified here, with exception of a few words I was unable to identify.

Line 1: Gloria1
Line 2: Beati quorum re(word continued on next line)
Line 3: missae sunt iniqui(cont.)
Line 4: tates et quorum tecta
Line 5: sunt peccata Beatus
Line 6: vir cui non inputabit
Line 7: peccatum nec est in
Line 8: spiritu eius dolus Qui
Line 9: tacui inveteraverunt
Line 10: ossa mea dum clamarem
Line 11: tota die Qui die ac
Line 12: nocte gravata est super
Line 13: me manus tua converses
Line 14: sum in aerumna

These lines are from the beginning of Psalm 31, today Psalm 32. The complete Latin version and translation, are below. This Psalm places the Book of Hours page as a part of the Psalter section before the removal from the original book. Contextually, during the time period this page was produced in France, this page would have been preceded with either an image of the Christ of Judgement or a scene from the Life of David.

Latin version of Psalm 31 (32)

Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates et quorum tecta sunt peccata

Beatus vir cui non inputabit Dominuspeccatum nec est in spiritu eius dolus

Quoniam tacui inveteraverunt ossa mea dum clamerem tota die

Quoniam die ac nocte gravata est super me manus tua converses sum in aerumna mea dum configitur mihi spina

Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci et iniustitiam meam non abscondi dixi confitebor adversus me iniustitiam meam Domino et tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei

Pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus in tempore oportuno verumtamen in diluvio aquarum multarum ad eum non adproximabunt

Tu es refugium meum a tribulatione quae circumdedit me exultatio mea erue me a circumdantibus me

Intellectum tibi dabo et instruam te in via hac qua gradieris firmabo super te oculos meos

Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus quibus non est intellectus in camo et freno maxillas eorum constringe qui non adproximant ad te

Multa flagella peccatoris sperantem autem in Domino misericordia circumdabit

Laetamini in Domino et exultate iusti et gloriamini omnes recti corde

English Translation of Psalm 31 (32)

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile

Because I was silent my bones grew old; whilst I cried out all the day long

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened

I have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

For this shall every one that is holy pray to thee in a seasonable time. And yet in a flood of many waters, they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me: my joy, deliver me from them that surround me.

I will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in this way, in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee.

Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding. With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto thee.

Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye just, and glory, all ye right of heart.

Suggestions for further reading:

• Wieck, Roger S. Time Sanctified: the Book of Hours in Medieval Art and Life. NY: George Braziller, 1988.
• Lindquist Snadgren, Eva. The Book of Hours of Johannete Ravenelle and the Parisian Book Illumination Around 1400. Figura Nova series 28. ed. By Solfrid Söderlind. Uppsala, Sweden: Uppsala University, 2002.

Dr. Wilma Fitzgerald, SP, Quoted with permission from an unpublished study

Pss. 6, 8- 11 and 31, 1-4. Dominica et feria ii in nocturno. One column, 14 lines. Museum accession mark on recto and G2721 for Gilkey. Five blue initials on red filigree grounds, two of gold on blue. Two-lines high centered on line. E[rubescant] has larger and longer red filigree. One large gold initial: B[eati].

Transcription of text:

// [Ps. 6, 1: Domine ne in furore ... turbatus est a fur]ore oculus meus; inueteraui inter omnes inimicos meos. ... et erubescant ualde uelociter. Gloria. Beati [Ps. 31] quorum remisse sunt iniquitates et quorum tecta sunt peccata .../.... Conuersus sum in in erumpna [aerumna mea dum configitur spina].