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146:
correspondent, 'your
Excellency', who was in possession of a stolen portion of the manuscript. Birago's letter therefore makes the Sforza Hours one of the earliest recorded examples of art theft. In the letter, Birago claims that a friar, Fra Johanne Jacopo, had stolen the incomplete Book of Hours. Birago requests that Jacopo remains in prison until the thief has paid for the stolen items. According to Birago, the material stolen by Jacopo was worth more than 500 ducats. This was an enormous sum at the time and an indication of the contemporary value of the Sforza Hours.
588:
573:
482:
20:
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106:
249:
259:
The book comprises 348 leaves of vellum. Nearly a third of these are replacements. The book was designed to be easily carried: hence its pages are small, measuring 13.1 x 9.3 cm. It contains 64 full-page miniatures and 140 text pages with decorated borders and small miniatures. Its binding, in
179:
was a notable item in her collection). In 1517 she instigated the completion of the Sforza Hours. A French scribe, Etienne de Lale, was first engaged to replace missing text pages. These pages were executed in a rounded
Italian Gothic hand in an attempt to imitate the book's original script. Gerard
149:
It is not known whether Birago received compensation for the theft of part of the book or what happened to most of the stolen pages. It can be ascertained from the current condition of the book that the pages stolen from Birago included the entire calendar, folios from the Gospel lessons, the Hours
145:
Bona of Savoy and
Margaret of Austria were identified as the original owners of the book in 1894 from mottos and inscriptions on various folios. Also uncovered at this time was a letter from Birago that had been published in 1885. The letter, from about 1490, was addressed to an unnamed
120:
Bona commissioned the Book of Hours around 1490, fourteen years after the assassination of her husband
Galeazzo Sforza. Completion of the book was probably abandoned in 1494 when Bona found herself excluded from power by her brother-in-law,
621:
279:(fol.7.r), such as the Italian Renaissance architectural setting and the scroll in the foreground. The framing of the miniatures with gold frames with simple mouldings, imitating the wooden frames of contemporary
466:
This is considered the finest cycle of decoration in the Sforza Hours. It contains 25 vibrant and dynamic miniatures by Birago of individual saints, arranged in order of importance, beginning with
303:(British Library, Add. MS 80800) by Birago are known to exist from the calendar. The calendar probably belonged to the stolen part of the manuscript about which Birago complained in his letter.
271:. Horenbout's additions to the Sforza Hours demonstrate a deliberate attempt to adapt his own style to a more Italianate one that would complement Birago's existing illuminations. Horenbout's
187:, in one of Horenbout's text illustrations dated 1520. It is therefore widely believed that Margaret gave the Sforza Hours to her nephew as a gift on the occasion of his coronation as
542:
The Office of the Dead is followed by the Prayer of the name of Jesus from the epistles of St Paul (fols 343.r-348.v) which is an unillustrated addition of around 1600.
150:
of the Cross, the Hours of the Holy Spirit, the Hours of the Virgin, the
Passion according to Saint Luke, three prayers to the Virgin, and the Suffrages of the Saints.
602:
51:
224:
In 1960, an article was published that identified two calendar miniatures from the Sforza Hours in the possession of a book dealer. These are likely to have been
217:
In 1956, Birago was confirmed as an original artist of Sforza Hours following the discovery of his signature on the frontispiece of
Giovanni Simonetta's
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1037:
1022:
69:. The book therefore contains decoration of the highest quality by two artists. It provides a unique example of an early sixteenth-century
424:(fol.136.v) by Horenbout and 8 miniatures that represent a complete Passion cycle by Birago. These include the impressively composed
400:. It is possible that Margaret possessed a desire to identify herself and her situation with the aged and childless Elizabeth.
134:
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62:
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133:. Bona died in 1503 and Philibert also died the following year, whereupon the book became the property of his widow,
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162:
511:
There is also one decorated border by Birago (fol.213.r) to which
Horenbout added the portrait of Charles V.
188:
166:
587:
572:
330:
The varying quality of Birago's miniatures in this section is evidence of extensive studio collaboration.
612:
397:
130:
184:
351:
56:
523:(fol.236.r), and 8 decorated borders by Birago depicting Old Testament heroines and female saints.
203:
for eight hundred pounds. It was then sold to John
Malcolm of Poltalloch, who presented it to the
199:
The book did not resurface until 1871, when it was acquired by C. J. Robinson from a priest in
47:
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454:(fol.170.r), however, has survived. There is also a full-page miniature by Horenbout of the
999:
170:
126:
70:
8:
519:
More than half the folios of the Litany are replacements. It includes one miniature, the
81:. The history of the Sforza Hours also includes one of the earliest recorded examples of
438:
232:
which were later sold to the
British Library by a private collector based in New York:
175:
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969:
207:(the library of which is now the British Library) in 1893, shortly before his death.
114:
539:
and 41 decorated borders by Birago. Nearly a third of this section is replacements.
65:, Regent of the Netherlands, commissioned its completion in 1517–20 from the artist
347:
327:
by
Horenbout (fol.10.v). Half the contents of the Gospel lessons are replacements.
214:(British Library, Add 45722), was given to the British Museum anonymously in 1941.
66:
563:
268:
261:
122:
89:
35:
389:
also exists (British Library, Add 45722)), and 44 decorated borders by Birago.
280:
204:
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350:, London), but it is possible that Horenbout may have seen the subject in the
248:
19:
1016:
180:
Horenbout was then commissioned to paint sixteen miniatures and two borders.
43:
39:
630:
by Horenbout. This work is reminiscent of a painting of the same subject by
631:
343:
78:
450:
A substantial portion of this section consists of replacements. Birago's
105:
474:(fol.211.v) (this has been misplaced in the series – it should end with
442:(fol.167.r) and 5 decorated borders by Birago depicting Passion scenes.
377:
This part includes 8 full-page miniatures by Horenbout, including the
82:
964:
Woods, K. W., Richardson, C. M. and Lymberopoulou, A., (eds) (2007)
129:. She returned to her native Savoy in 1495 as a guest of her nephew
159:
396:
includes a portrait of Margaret of Austria as the Virgin's cousin
267:
Birago's miniatures are in the North Italian antiquarian style of
504:
In this section there is a full-page miniature by Horenbout of
200:
50:, Duke of Milan, around 1490, who commissioned the illuminator
61:. The book remained in an unfinished state for 30 years until
365:
This section has survived completely intact. It contains the
74:
165:, moved to the Netherlands in 1506 as Regent for her nephew
16:
Book of hours by Giovanni Pierto Birago and Gerard Horenbout
275:(fol.10.v), for example, has similar features to Birago's
357:
The section also contains 18 decorated borders by Birago.
210:
A miniature from the body of the work stolen from Birago,
183:
There is a portrait of Charles, wearing the chain of the
354:
which displays similar details to Horenbout's painting.
236:
was acquired in 1984, and the Library paid £191,000 for
369:(fol.28.r) and twenty-one decorated borders by Birago.
311:
The Gospel lessons contain the following miniatures:
169:
and there she became one of the great patrons of the
403:
338:
This includes a full-page miniature by Horenbout of
611:by Horenbout. Margaret of Austria, is portrayed as
531:This part contains one miniature by Horenbout, the
436:These prayers contain a full-page miniature of the
408:Includes a full-page miniature by Horenbout of the
508:and six miniatures of the same subject by Birago.
445:
38:, London, Add. MS 34294), is a richly illuminated
1014:
1000:British Library's Online Gallery of sacred texts
415:
342:(fol.12.v). This miniature has been likened to
431:
492:The series contains one Horenbout miniature:
1005:National Gallery's image of Gerard David's
499:
360:
461:
535:(fol.257.v). There is one miniature, the
243:
480:
247:
104:
18:
1033:British Library additional manuscripts
1015:
385:(fol.97.r) (Birago's miniature of the
372:
158:Margaret, who was the daughter of the
526:
346:'s panel of the same subject (in the
333:
299:(British Library, Add. MS 62997) and
1038:16th-century illuminated manuscripts
1023:15th-century illuminated manuscripts
13:
285:Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany
14:
1049:
993:
752:"Missing page found 500 years on"
404:The accessory prayer Salve Regina
306:
283:, can also be seen in the French
125:, following the death of her son
634:in the National Gallery, London.
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601:
586:
571:
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163:Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
982:, London, The British Library,
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446:'Obsecro Te' and 'O Intemerata'
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189:Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
470:(fol.186.v) and ending with
416:Passion according to St Luke
194:
153:
100:
7:
432:Seven prayers of St Gregory
290:
10:
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1028:Illuminated books of hours
1007:Christ Nailed to the Cross
628:Christ nailed to the Cross
545:
420:This section contains the
367:Descent of the Holy Spirit
340:Christ nailed to the Cross
264:, dates from around 1896.
185:Order of the Golden Fleece
95:
73:illuminator's response to
514:
410:Virgin and Child in Glory
352:Hours of Mary of Burgundy
754:. BBC. 30 September 2004
639:
521:Procession of St Gregory
500:Seven Penitential Psalms
452:Assumption of the Virgin
361:Hours of the Holy Spirit
140:
966:Viewing Renaissance Art
506:King David in Penitence
486:King David in Penitence
462:Suffrages of the Saints
489:
256:
244:Structure and contents
117:
52:Giovanni Pietro Birago
27:
488:by Birago (fol. 212v)
484:
387:Adoration of the Magi
383:Adoration of the Magi
251:
212:Adoration of the Magi
108:
22:
422:Entry into Jerusalem
171:Northern Renaissance
71:Northern Renaissance
968:, New Haven, Yale,
537:Death of the Virgin
381:(fol.61.r) and the
373:Hours of the Virgin
135:Margaret of Austria
111:Margaret of Austria
88:It has been in the
63:Margaret of Austria
533:Raising of Lazarus
527:Office of the Dead
490:
439:Mass of St Gregory
334:Hours of the Cross
257:
176:Arnolfini Portrait
131:Philibert of Savoy
118:
28:
978:Evans, M. (1992)
853:Woods, pp.124–126
472:St Mary Magdalene
253:St Mary Magdalene
115:Bernard van Orley
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980:The Sforza Hours
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348:National Gallery
77:art of the late
67:Gerard Horenbout
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319:(fol.4.r), and
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281:panel paintings
269:Andrea Mantegna
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123:Ludovico Sforza
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90:British Library
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48:Galeazzo Sforza
36:British Library
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609:The Visitation
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127:Gian Galeazzo
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92:since 1893.
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42:initiated by
41:
40:book of hours
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756:. Retrieved
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723:Woods, p.128
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696:Woods, p.121
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678:Woods, p.119
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651:Woods, p.119
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632:Gerard David
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344:Gerard David
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109:Portrait of
87:
79:Quattrocento
32:Sforza Hours
31:
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952:Evans, p.63
943:Evans, p.63
934:Evans, p.63
925:Evans, p.49
916:Evans, p.63
907:Evans, p.63
889:Evans, p.63
880:Evans, p.63
871:Evans, p.62
862:Evans, p.63
844:Evans, p.62
835:Evans, p.62
817:Evans, p.32
808:Evans, p.62
799:Evans, p.29
781:Evans, p.17
772:Evans, p.62
741:Evans, p.29
705:Evans, p.12
687:Evans, p.25
594:Last Supper
566:) Horenbout
426:Last Supper
315:(fol.1.r),
221:from 1490.
55: [
46:, widow of
44:Bona Sforza
1017:Categories
959:References
758:6 February
732:Evans, p.9
714:Evans, p.8
579:St Matthew
468:St Michael
394:Visitation
379:Visitation
321:St Matthew
277:St Matthew
273:Saint Mark
24:St Anthony
613:Elizabeth
596:by Birago
581:by Birago
494:St Andrew
398:Elizabeth
260:dark red
255:by Birago
240:in 2004.
219:Sforziada
195:1871–2004
154:1506–1520
101:1490–1504
83:art theft
26:by Birago
476:St Clare
291:Calendar
160:Habsburg
75:Milanese
560:St Mark
546:Gallery
325:St Mark
317:St Luke
313:St John
301:October
262:Morocco
238:October
230:October
167:Charles
96:History
986:
972:
515:Litany
201:Madrid
640:Notes
564:Lucas
295:Only
173:(the
141:Theft
59:]
984:ISBN
970:ISBN
760:2012
392:The
228:and
30:The
297:May
234:May
226:May
113:by
1019::
191:.
137:.
85:.
57:nl
762:.
615:.
34:(
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