{"id":8581,"date":"2026-01-27T16:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sjvdenver.edu\/library\/?page_id=8581"},"modified":"2026-01-27T16:25:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:25:02","slug":"fascimile-book-of-hours-of-ferdinand-and-isabella-of-spain","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sjvdenver.edu\/library\/fascimile-book-of-hours-of-ferdinand-and-isabella-of-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"Book of Hours of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book of Hours of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Ghent (Belgium)\u00a0\u2014 Ca. 1475<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A work of the “Who’s Who” of medieval illumination: the wedding gift of Emperor Maximilian I to the Catholic Monarchs, masterfully and richly illuminated by Simon Marmion, Lieven van Lathem, and others.<\/p>\n

The precious\u00a0Book of Hours of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain<\/em>\u00a0is one of the most outstanding works of late medieval book illumination and is considered one of the most beautiful books of hours in the world. With its 670 virtuoso illuminations, including 87 full-page miniatures, it flaunts a breathtaking treasure of images that has no equal. The greatest Flemish illuminators of the late 15th century created true works of art on these parchment pages, such as Simon Marmion, Lieven van Lathem and the Master of the Hours of Mary of Burgundy. These gifted book artists probably created this precious gem around 1475 for Margaret of York (1446\u20131503), bibliophile Duchess of Burgundy. In roundabout way, the book ended up in the possession of the Roman-German Emperor Maximilian I (1459\u20131519), who in turn gave it to the so-called Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand (1452\u20131516) and Isabella (1451\u20131504) of Spain, to whom the work owes its present name.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Book of Hours of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain<\/em>\u00a0counts as part of the\u00a0distinguished works of the Late Middle Aged book painting<\/strong>\u00a0and is considered to be among\u00a0the most beautiful books of hours in the world<\/strong>. With its uncountable miniatures, spanning a total of 650 pages, this manuscript flaunts beauty that truly has no equal. The\u00a0best Flemish book artists of their time<\/strong>\u00a0brought true works of art onto these parchment pages. Presumably the book was a present from\u00a0Emperor Maximilian I<\/strong>\u00a0to the so-called\u00a0Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain<\/strong>. The name of\u00a0Margarete of York<\/strong>\u00a0is also connected to this manuscript, as she was the original patron from the work in 1475.<\/p>\n

Great Names from Art History<\/h3>\n

The 650 pages of the codex are split into three parts today; one in the\u00a0Spanish National Library in Madrid, one in the State Museum of Berlin, and one in the Philadelphia Museum of Art<\/strong>. It arose in 1475 in\u00a0Ghent<\/strong>, one of the central hubs of Flemish art in the Late Middle Ages. Several artists have been identified as being involved in this high ranking work, such as the famous\u00a0Master of the Book of Hours of Maria of Burgundy<\/strong>, and also the\u00a0Master of the Dresden Prayerbook<\/strong>. Alongside that, several miniatures derive from Flemish book painter\u00a0Simon Marmion<\/strong>, an exceptionally gifted artist of his time, as well as from\u00a0Lieven van Lathem and Nicolas Spierinc<\/strong>. This enumeration of artists reads truly as a \u2018Who\u2019s Who\u2019 of the art community of the late 15th century. At many of the places in thus gorgeous manuscript, the devise known as\u00a0voustre demeure<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is present, which also coincidentally is a name which has been tied to this book, too. The officiating patron of the work was\u00a0Margarete of York<\/strong>, the sister of\u00a0King Edward IV<\/strong>\u00a0of England and the wife of\u00a0Charles the Bold<\/strong>, Duke of Burgundy. In roundabout way, the book ended up in the possession of\u00a0Emperor Maximillian I<\/strong>. He then presumably gifted the work to\u00a0Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain<\/strong>\u00a0on the occasion of their wedding. This monarchal pair are also well-known under the designation of the \u2018Catholic Monarchs\u2019.<\/p>\n

Images of Overwhelming Magnificence<\/h3>\n

Magnificence of immeasurable proportions opens up before the eyes of the beholder in this work. Natural depictions of plants and flowers alternate with illustrations of animals and insects. However, the splendor of these images serve only as the borders and backgrounds of the actual miniatures embedded within them.\u00a0Three different types of miniature-pages<\/strong>\u00a0are present in this book of hours: among them are 87 whole-page miniatures, such as the Madonna or an impressive Lamentation by Simon Marmion. There are the small miniature scenes in the edges and borders, such as saintly Annunciation scenes, as part of the aforementioned frames with flowers and animals. For example, Mary and Joseph\u2019s search for lodging among the figures painted into the frames around the text. There are an astounding 583 quarter-page miniatures. Artful\u00a0initials<\/strong>\u00a0are integrated in the miniatures for the most part. Stylistically, the adornment of this book of hours is of the highest quality. The many innovations of Flemish illumination are richly applied to this work. Firstly, the observation of nature is the basis of the naturalistic paintings. Secondly, the\u00a0illusionism<\/strong>\u00a0of the composition, be it in relation to the background with architectural elements or the depictions of landscapes, or in relation to the interlaced, mutually reinforcing style of the border decorations and integrated miniature scenes. The magnificence of the codex is highlighted by the generous application of silver and gold to the ornamentation of the picture pages. The exterior, unfurled in a leather cover, promises the hidden treasure contained within this book of hours.<\/p>\n

Alternative Titles
\n<\/strong>Libro De Horas De Los Reyes Cat\u00f3licos
\nBook of Hours of the Catholic Monarchs
\nVoustre Demeure Hours
\nStundenbuch der Katholischen K\u00f6nige
\nStundenbuch von Ferdinand und Isabella von Spanien
\nLivre d’Heures des Rois Catholiques
\nLibro d\u2019Ore dei Re Cattolici
\nLivro de Horas dos Reis Cat\u00f3licos<\/p>\n

Type
\n<\/strong>Manuscript on parchment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Size \/ Format
\n<\/strong>650 pages \/ 13.1 \u00d7 9.2 cm<\/p>\n

Origin
\n<\/strong>Belgium<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Date
\n<\/strong>Ca. 1475<\/p>\n

Epochs
\n<\/strong>Late Middle Ages Onwards<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Style
\n<\/strong>Gothic<\/strong><\/a>
\nRenaissance<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Genre
\n<\/strong>Private Devotion Books<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Language
\n<\/strong>Latin<\/strong><\/a>
\nFrench<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Script
\n<\/strong>Littera bastarda<\/p>\n

Illustrations
\n<\/strong>87 large-format miniatures and 583 ornate borders, often featuring imaginative depictions of plants, animals, and insects<\/p>\n

Content
\n<\/strong>Liturgy of the Hours<\/p>\n

Patron
\n<\/strong>Margaret of York (1446\u20131503), Duchess of Burgundy<\/p>\n

Artist \/ School
\n<\/strong>Master of the Book of Hours of Mary of Burgundy (illuminator)
\nMaster of the Dresden Prayer Book (illuminator)
\nLieven van Lathem (illuminator)
\nSimon Marmion (illuminator)
\nNicolas Spierinc (scribe)<\/p>\n

Previous Owners
\n<\/strong>Emperor Maximilian I (1459\u20131519)
\nQueen Isabella I of Castile (1451\u20131504)
\nKing Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452\u20131516)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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