MANUSCRIT - Book of hours (for the use of Paris) - Lot 161

Lot 161
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MANUSCRIT - Book of hours (for the use of Paris) - Lot 161
MANUSCRIT - Book of hours (for the use of Paris) In Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on parchment France, Paris, ca. 1480-1490 With 6 large and 2 small miniatures attributable to the Master of the Romuléon of Cluny, active in Paris from the late 1480s to 1500 100 ff [parchment endpapers included in foliation], lacking two leaves between ff. 14-15 (beginning of the Hours of the Virgin with most likely a miniature introducing matins [Annunciation]) and ff. 51-52 (beginning of the Hours of the Cross with most likely a miniature [Crucifixion]) (collation: i4, ii8, iii7 (8-1, lacking i), iv8, v8, vi8, vii6, viii7 (8-1, lacking i), ix8, x8, xi8, xii8, xiii8), modern foliation in red ink, bastard writing in brown ink, with 26 lines per leaf, leaves ruled in pale red ink (justification: 100 x 54 mm), a few advertisements (ff. 21v, 29v, 37v, 45v, 58v, 74v, 82v, 90v), calendar with two months per page, headings in pale red (tending to pink), numerous initials in liquid gold on dark red and brown/brown backgrounds (1 to 2 lines high), alternating gilded woodcut tips with ornamented tips with foliage motifs in liquid gold on dark red background, some borders with phylacteries or belts with a motto "Faute d'argent", larger initials painted in light gray with white highlights on dark red background decorated with floral motifs on liquid gold background. Bound in red morocco, spine with four partitioned nerves with crowned "PP" repeated in the inter-nerves, Duseuil-style decoration on the boards with four crowned "PP" figures at the outer corners of the central frame, in the center of the boards a shield adorned with small irons containing the same crowned "PP" figure, roulette on the edges, gilt edges, marbled paper on the back covers alone (17th century binding). Some rubbing to the binding (not serious), corners a little dulled, some spotting, jaws a little cracked, but generally in good condition. Leaves trimmed a little short in height. Size of binding: 142 x 92 mm; size of leaves: 136 x 85 mm. Good general condition (despite the deficit of two leaves). Some leaves trimmed short, notably on the outer edges of the calendar and top of the leaves with miniatures. This manuscript is painted in Paris and contains miniatures attributable to the Master of the Romulean of the Museum of Cluny after the manuscript of a Romulean by Sebastien Mamerot in the translation of Jean Miélot, now preserved in fragments. The Musée de Cluny preserves the only full-page miniature by this Master, and a smaller one, hence François Avril's proposal to name this artist "Master of the Romuléon of the Musée de Cluny" (Musée de Cluny, Inv. 804 and 1819). Most of this artist's activity can be located in Paris. His hand can be found in the beautiful book of hours, also for use in Rome (Heures dites Rochereau-Le Goix), preserved in Chaumont, BM, MS 34 (see Delaunay, 2000, vol. 2, pp. 55-60), with which he shares certain layouts, in particular the calendar and the separation between two columns by means of a decoration of gems (see in the Heures "Bezombes" ff. 3v-6). The artist's hand can be found in several Hours for the use of Paris (Paris, BnF, lat. 1423 (note the proximity of the borders to the "Bezombes" Hours) and lat. 13296). Let us also mention the Hours for the use of Langres preserved in New York, PML, M 26. The Master of the Romuléon of Cluny also worked a lot on the illustration of incunabula, for example the famous Mer des Histoires by Pierre Le Rouge, around 1488-1489. The artist proposes compositions that betray his good knowledge of Parisian prints. Thanks to this activity, we can follow him in Paris until about 1495. The artist is fond of the treatment of half-closed eyes and frowning eyebrows. The miniature representing Saint John on the island of Patmos presents the same characteristic elements as in the miniature preserved in Chaumont (MS 34) with landscapes with fantastic rocks, bluish hills, shrubs and the use of an almost olive green (on the Master of the Romuléon of Cluny, one will consult I. Delaunay, Echanges artistiques entre les livres d'heures manuscrits et imprimés produits à Paris vers 1480-1500, doctoral thesis Paris IV, Paris, 2000). TEXT ff. 1-3, blank leaves - ff. 3v-6, Calendar, in French, universal for Paris, with two months per page - f. 6v, blank leaf - ff. 7-10v, Gospel pericopes - ff. 11-13v, Obsecro te - ff. 14-17v, Seven verses of St. Gregory (introduced by a long heading in French (fol. 13v) (the end is missing) - ff. 18-51, Hours of the Virgin, according to the use of Paris, with matins (ff. 18-28); lauds (ff. 28v-34v); prime (ff. 35-38), with antiphon, Benedicta tu and capitula, Felix namque; tierce (ff. 38-40); sexte (ff. 40-42); none (ff. 42v-44),
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