St. George Slaying the Dragon
Book of Hours, in Latin.
Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1450
Illuminated by the Master of Jean Chevrot
The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.421, fol. 23v
Flight into Egypt
Book of Hours, in Latin
Belgium, Bruges, 1520s
Illuminated by Simon Bening
The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.307, fol.
71v
Flemish Illumination in the Era of Catherine of Cleves at the Morgan Library and Museum
The fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries saw the last greatflowering of Flemish illumination. As a complement to The Morgan Library & Museum’s exhibition of TheHours of Catherine of Cleves, which goes on view January 22, 2010, a separate show of eighteen illuminatedBooks of Hours from the area of and around Flanders (part of modern Belgium) will be presented. FlemishIllumination in the Era of Catherine of Cleves opens simultaneously with the Cleves exhibition and runs throughMay 2 in the Morgan’s Clare Eddy Thaw Gallery.
January 22 – May 2, 2010
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Source: Morgan Library and Museum
The Flemish manuscripts provide intriguing iconographic and stylisticpoints of comparison with miniatures from Catherine’s greatmanuscript. All the works in the show are from the Morgan’s holdings,and each at its heart contains the Hours of the Virgin, a sequence ofprayers to the mother of God that were ideally recited throughout thecourse of the day.
The exhibition includes examples from major illuminators from thisprolific creative period encompassing the late Middle Ages and thenorthern Renaissance. On view are works by Lieven van Lathem andWillem Vrelant, two artists who collaborated with, and wereinfluenced by the creator of the Cleves manuscript, known as “theMaster of Catherine of Cleves.”
Simon Bening (1483/84–1561), considered one of the greatest Flemish illuminators, is represented by threemanuscripts at the center of the exhibition. The Da Costa Hours, known after its second owner, DonAlvaro da Costa, is a masterpiece infused with lush landscapes, beautiful borders, and keen observation ofdetail. The manuscript will be open to the startling image of All Martyrs, illustrating the numerous ways overthe centuries by which Christians have been put to death for their faith.
The second manuscript by Bening depicts the Flight of Egypt. It exemplifies Bening’s interest in documentinglandscape and weather conditions and includes extraordinarily observed details. For example, in thebackground to the right of the Virgin’s head, a tiny gold statue has toppled from a column on a hill,signifying the collapse of the old pagan world. The third manuscript by Bening is the Van Damme Book ofHours depicting a dramatic night scene: The Annunciation to the Shepherds.
Other highlights in the exhibition include a Book of Hours painted by the Master of Jean Chevrotillustrating St. George Slaying the Dragon. The image is reminiscent of panel paintings by Jan van Eyck in itsattention to detail in the armor, the birds in the sky, and the dragon’s genitals.
The exhibition is organized by Roger S. Wieck, curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts at TheMorgan Library & Museum.
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