In recent years popular books
dealing with illuminated
manuscripts have become widely
available. Most relevant in the
present context is John Harthan,
Books of Hours ( 1977), which
includes reproductions from 34
outstanding examples of this type
of manuscript in libraries all over
the world and offers extensive
notes and bibliography. Useful
background material is provided
by J J G Alexander, Italian
Renaissance Illuminations ( 1977),
François Avril, Manuscript
Painting at the Court of France: the
Fourteenth Century, 1310-1380
( 1978), Marcel Thomas, The
Golden Age: Manuscript Painting
at the Time of Jean, Duc de Berry
( 1979), and Richard Marks and
Nigel Morgan, The Golden Age of
English Manuscript Painting,
1200-1500 ( 1981).

Many of the world's finest Books
of Hours are individually covered
by lavishly illustrated monographs.
Of particular note is an edition of
one of the most famous
manuscripts in the world, Les Très
Riches Heures du Duc de Berry,
edited by Jean Longnon and
Raymond Cazelles, with a preface
by Millard Meiss ( 1969). Two of
the manuscripts represented iii
this book have also been fully
published: The Hours of Etienne
Chevalier, edited by Claude Schaefer, with a preface by
Charles Sterling ( 1972) and The
Hastings Hours, edited by D H Turner
( 1983). Several other
outstanding Books of Hours in the
British Library are described and
illustrated in an exhibition
catalogue, Renaissance Painting in
Manuscripts: Treasures from the
British Library ( 1983).

Readers interested in the
techniques practised by scribes
and illuminators should consult
books written for present-day
exponents of these arts, such as
The Calligrapher's Handbook,
edited by C M Lamb ( 1954) and
Marie Angel, Painting for
Calligraphers ( 1984).

© 1985 The British Library Board

Reprinted 1988, 1995

Published by

The British Library

Great Russell Street

London WCIB 3DG

British Library Cataloguing in

Publication Data

Backhouse, Janet

Books of hours.

1. Hours, Books of-----History

I. Title II. British Library

091 ND3363.A1

ISBN 0 7123 0052 X

Designed by Roger Davies.

Typeset in Monophoto Ehrhardt by

August Filmsetting, Haydock

Origination by York House Graphics

Ltd., Hanwell

Printed and Bound in Great Britain by

Clifford Press Ltd, Coventry

Front cover Amadee de Saluces at
prayer before the Virgin and Child.
Saluces Hours. Savoy; third quarter of
the 15th century. 280 × 190 mm.
Additional MS 27697, f.19.

Back cover Francesco Maria Sforza
with his guardian angel. Hours of
Francesco Maria Sforza. Milan; about
1493. 120 × 85 mm. Additional MS
63493, f.112v (detail).

Titlepage St Mark in his study. Bruges;
early 16th century. 85 × 55 mm.
Additional MS 32388, f.2. (Enlarged.)

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