{"id":8590,"date":"2026-01-27T22:44:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T22:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sjvdenver.edu\/library\/?page_id=8590"},"modified":"2026-01-27T23:09:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:09:28","slug":"fascimile-officium-beatae-mariae-virginis-of-barbara-of-austria","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sjvdenver.edu\/library\/fascimile-officium-beatae-mariae-virginis-of-barbara-of-austria\/","title":{"rendered":"Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria"},"content":{"rendered":"

Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria<\/strong><\/h1>\n

France\u00a0\u2014 15th century<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Created for the pious Archduchess of Austria with a particular sense of family: Barbara’s personal book of hours with her imperial family motto on almost every page, created in the circle of Jean Bourdichon.<\/p>\n

The precious\u00a0Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria<\/em>\u00a0(1539\u20131572) may \u201conly\u201d contains the Office of the Virgin Mary, but it is all the more magnificently decorated for it. It was created for the pious Austrian Archduchess and Duchess of Ferrara and probably accompanied her at her wedding to Alfonso II d\u2019Este (1533\u20131597). It is not clear who commissioned this private devotional book. However, it is possible that the splendid manuscript was a gift to Barbara from Philip the Fair (1478\u20131506) or his son, Emperor Charles V (1500\u20131558). Its illumination is undoubtedly royal: illuminators from the circle of the two prominent French court painters Jean Bourdichon (c. 1457\u20131521) and Jean Fouquet (c. 1420\u20131478\/ 81) provided the gold-adorned gem with 17 full-page miniatures, over 300 imaginative drolleries, and beautiful, multicolored foliate borders. In addition, the impressively varied use of painting techniques and pigments is an artistic expression of the high quality of this beautiful manuscript.<\/p>\n

The precious manuscript of this Office of the Virgin Mary was\u00a0in the possession of Barbara of Austria, an Austrian archduchess and wife of Alfonso II d\u2019Este, Duke of Ferrara<\/strong>. As a private devotional book, the manuscript was probably with her during her wedding. The manuscript was made in France in the late 15th century\u00a0in the French late-Gothic style of illumination<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 probably from the\u00a0circle of the famous court painters Jean Bourdichon (c. 1457\u20131521) and Jean Fouquet (c. 1420\u20131478\/ 81)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Ducal Owner<\/h3>\n

The precious\u00a0Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria<\/em>, which can be found today in the collection of the Biblioteca Estense Universitaria in Modena, was\u00a0the private devotional book of Barbara of Austria<\/strong>. Barbara of Austria (1539\u20131572) was one of 11 children resulting from the union of\u00a0Ferdinand I, who eventually became Holy Roman Emperor<\/strong>, and Anna Jagiello and as such was an Austrian archduchess. She married\u00a0Alfonso II d\u2019Este, the Duke of Ferrara<\/strong>\u00a0in the year 1565. However, Barbara died already at the age of 33. The famous poet\u00a0Torquato Tasso<\/strong>, whom she encountered in Italy, dedicated some of his poems to the Duchess of Ferrara.<\/p>\n

In the Circle of the Famous Court Painter<\/h3>\n

The French\u00a0Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria<\/em>\u00a0probably accompanied Barbara on the day of her wedding to Alfonso d\u2019Este. Already having been made in France in the 15th century, this manuscript presents itself as a\u00a0splendid work of French Gothic art<\/strong>. It is stylistically reminiscent of the painting of\u00a0Jean Bourdichon<\/strong>\u00a0(1457\u20131521), who was active was a\u00a0court painter for three French kings<\/strong>\u00a0and is famous for his\u00a0Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne<\/em>, inter alia. The\u00a0Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis of Barbara of Austria<\/em>\u00a0probably originated from Bourdichon\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n

French Visual Adornment and an Austrian Motto<\/h3>\n

The 332 pages of the manuscript were adorned with\u00a017 full-page miniatures<\/strong>\u00a0and countless initials and other elements.\u00a0Broad decorative frames<\/strong>, filled with magnificent ornamentation and decorative motifs, surround the primary miniatures with scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The ornamentation is permeated with representations of animals and plants both real and fantastic, or cherubs and musical angels, and a variety of additional decorative elements.<\/p>\n

Codicology<\/h3>\n

Alternative Titles
\n<\/strong>Offiziolo di Barbara d’Austria
\nStundenbuch von Barbara von \u00d6sterreich
\nOfficium Beate Marie Virginis di Barbara d\u2019Austria
\nHours of Barbara of Austria<\/p>\n

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

Size \/ Format
\n<\/strong>332 pages \/ 17.5 \u00d7 12.0 cm<\/p>\n

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

Date
\n<\/strong>15th century<\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

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

Illustrations
\n<\/strong>17 full-page miniatures and 328 depictions of animals and plants<\/p>\n

Content
\n<\/strong>Book of hours<\/p>\n

Artist \/ School
\n<\/strong>French Gothic style of Jean Bourdichon<\/p>\n

Previous Owners
\n<\/strong>Archduchess Barbara of Austria (1539\u20131572)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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