The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 16, 2026

An ink and tempera vellum manuscript spread features black Latin script with gold and blue initials. Borders of swirling blue, gold, and green vines with small flowers frame each block. Circular miniatures on the inner margins depict figures in landscapes, such as a kneeling man. Small brown birds perch in the foliage at the bottom of each page. The symmetrical composition highlights vibrant pigments and delicate, scrolling vines.

Leaf from a Book of Hours: Office of the Dead Opening Prayers (recto); Psalm 5 (verso)

c. 1460

circle of Coëtivy Master

(French)
France, Paris
Ink, tempera and gold on vellum
Plate: 15.7 x 12.4 cm (6 3/16 x 4 7/8 in.); Sheet: 19.4 x 14.4 cm (7 5/8 x 5 11/16 in.)
James Parmelee Fund 2022.102
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

St. Alexis is depicted here as a courtly person of the 1400s to bring him close to the reader.

Description

The leaf shows the life of St Alexis, a monk of the 300s. His veneration became popular in France since the 1100s when the French poem la Vie de saint Alexis was written. This text is regarded as one of the earliest examples in romance language written in French and not in Latin.
  • Parent Manuscript owned by Erza Clark Stillman (1907-95), New York, NY
    Jörn Günther and Bruce Ferrini, London, England and New York, NY
    -2020
    Roger Martin (1939-2020) of Grimsby
    -2022
    Dreweatts, London, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Bloomsbury Auctions (Firm). Western Manuscripts and Miniatures: Monday 7 December 2020 : 2pm. 2020. Lot 81 online.fliphtml5.com
  • {{cite web|title=Leaf from a Book of Hours: Office of the Dead Opening Prayers (recto); Psalm 5 (verso)|url=false|author=Coëtivy Master|year=c. 1460|access-date=16 April 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.102