The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Bifolio from a Book of Hours: The Crucifixion (recto), Text (verso)

Bifolio from a Book of Hours: The Crucifixion (recto), Text (verso)

c. 1435
(Angers, Nantes, or Poitiers)
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum
Sheet: 22 x 16.2 cm (8 11/16 x 6 3/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1926.244
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The images and decorated initials in the book of hours were used to provoke meditation and prayer, leading to books of hours sometimes being referred to as “painted prayers.”

Description

In most books of hours, the Hours of the Cross and the Hours of the Holy Spirit are much shorter than the Hours of the Virgin. Like the Hours of the Virgin, each hour consists of specific hymns, devotional poems, and prayers to be said throughout the day. Accompanying illustrations are either events surrounding the Crucifixion or the Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his ascension to heaven. Traditionally, the Hours of the Cross begins with a scene of the Crucifixion of Christ. The illumination, or illustration, can help determine which series is indicated, as the Hours of the Cross and Holy Spirit begin with the same text. After 1400, such text no longer appeared solely in Latin but could be in French or Dutch, making it more accessible to laypeople.
  • -1926
    [Durlacher Brothers, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art]
    1926-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Ricci, Seymour de. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, Supplement. New York: Bibliographical Society, 1961. p. 1931
    Gothic Art 1360-1440. (1963). The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, 50(7). no. 16, p. 204 www.jstor.org
  • The Medieval Top Seller: The Book of Hours (Gallery 115 rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26, 2022-July 30, 2023).
    Gothic Art 1360-1440. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 6-September 15, 1963).
  • {{cite web|title=Bifolio from a Book of Hours: The Crucifixion (recto), Text (verso)|url=false|author=|year=c. 1435|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.244