The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 22, 2026

A vertically oriented ink and tempera manuscript leaf depicts a full-length portrait of King David turned slightly to our right. Clad in a red gown and cap, he holds a gold scepter against his chest. To the right, black Latin script begins with a large, floral-patterned 'M'. Striking horizontal bars of red, blue, and green separate the lines, creating a structured composition across the pale, cream-colored parchment.

Leaf from a Book of Hours: King David

c. 1500

circle of Jean Bourdichon

(French, c. 1457–1521)
France
ink, tempera, and gold on parchment
Sheet: 27.5 x 20.2 cm (10 13/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1985.81
Location: Not on view

Description

The illuminator Jean Bourdichon was court painter to four successive kings of France: Louis XI, Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I. On the basis of surviving documents, he seems to have been principally active between 1478 and 1520. The text is that of Psalm 50 beginning Miserere mei deus (Have mercy on me, O God), and one of the Seven Penitential Psalms found in medieval books of hours. It is the life of David, who according to tradition, was the author of the psalms, that dominates the miniatures for the Penitential Psalms. As a proud and powerful king who flagrantly committed both adultery and murder, David was struck down and reprimanded by God. The Penitential Psalms themselves, especially Psalm 50, are associated with his penance for these sins.
  • A Medieval Treasury: An Exhibition of Medieval Art from the Third to the Sixteenth Century, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. (October 8- Novermber 3, 1968) by Robert G. Clakins, p.185, cat.no. 112
  • {{cite web|title=Leaf from a Book of Hours: King David|url=false|author=Jean Bourdichon|year=c. 1500|access-date=22 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1985.81