VENDU
8vo (c. 205 x c. 136-140 mm). ii + 124 +ii leaves (wrongly numbered 123). Approximate collation: 16, 2-58, 610, 78, 8-1210, 1312, 1410 (6-4); four leaves cut away at the end of the 14th quire, likely original blanks. Modern pencil foliation, misnumbered from f. 105 as 104. – Text justification: 115 x 65 mm. 22 lines, 1 column, ruled in red. Written in black ink in Gothic Textura, rubrics in blue, calendar alternating in red and blue, main feasts in gold, capitals touched in yellow. – Initial letters in the form of white or blue scrolls on gold backgrounds with birds, flowers or flies; small initials on blue and red backgrounds with a gold bodies; line endings in form of trimmed logs or alternating red and blue blocks with gold flourishes; floral gold-ground borders on all leaves with hybrids, acanthus or painted on parchment with diverse shapes in gold grounds with acanthus and flowers; 44 miniatures, of which 1 full-page, 20 half-page, 11 small, and 12 two-part calendar vignettes. – In fine condition, with small worm holes in f. 1, very minor pigment loss (ff. 1, 24v) some trimming of leaves evident (ff. 2, 5, 41 ). – 20th century red morroco in 17th-century style, double frame of gilt fillets around sides, flat spine gilt, gilt edges, preserved in a modern red morroco box by Loutrel.
1 in stock
A fascinating collaboration between the Master of Jean d’Albret and the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse, this brilliant example of late Parisian devotional illumination was passed down within the same family, Juvisy de Montferrand, for centuries.
Text
NB: The modern pencil foliation has misnumbered the leaves from f. 104. In the interest of accuracy and clarity, we have noted the correct foliation, followed by the pencil foliation in parentheses.
ff. 1-6v Calendar with a saint for each day of the year, with principal feasts for St. Vincent, La Chandeleur, SS. Paul, Gregory, Notre Dame, SS. George, Mark, Holy Cross, SS. John, Nicholas, Peter and Paul, Barnabus, Martin, Mary Magdalene, James, Anne, Stephen, Berthelemy, Michael, Matthew, Denis, Simon, Clement, Catherine, Andrew, Thomas, Christmas, “Les innocens”
ff. 7-13v Passion
ff. 14r/v lined blank
ff. 15-19v Gospel Extracts
ff. 20-24 Obsecro te; O intemerate (f. 22v)
ff. 25-70 Hours of the Virgin, use of Rome.
f. 70v lined blank
ff. 71-84 Penitential Psalms, followed by the litany including: St. Gervais, St. Protais, St. Denis, and St. Genevieve.
f. 84v lined blank
ff. 85-87 Hours of the Cross
f. 87v blank
ff. 88-90 Hours of the Holy Spirit
f. 90v lined blank
ff. 91-119(118) Office of the Dead, use of Rome.
ff. 119v(118v)-125(124) Suffrages of the Saints, including SS. Michael, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, Peter and Paul, Sebastian, Nicholas, Anne, Mary Magdalene, Catherine, Barbara and Margaret
f. 125v(124v) lined blank
Illumination
In her private examination of this manuscript, Isabelle Delaunay has attributed its decoration to two principal hands, the Master of Jean d’Albret and the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse. In her analysis of the division of the hands, Delauny posits that the Master of Jean d’Albret was alone responsible for the calendar illuminations (ff. 1-6v), the small miniatures for the Suffrages of the Saints (ff. 118-123), and nine miniatures in the rest of the manuscript. She argues that the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse independently painted the Annunciation (f. 26), and that the rest of the book, comprising eleven miniatures, were painted in teamwork between the two artists (hands noted in detail below), with the Master of Jean d’Albret generally responsible for landscapes and subsidiary figures, while the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse responsible for the figures of the Virgin and Child.
Delaunay named the Master of Jean d’Albret (fl. c. 1490-1510) in her 2000 doctoral thesis.[1] Active in Paris, he illuminated both manuscripts and printed works and occupies a notable place in Parisian illumination of the years 1490-1510. His name derives from two incunabula painted for Jean III of Navarre, Count of Périgord and Viscount of Limoges, Lord of Albret (1469-1516), namely Raoul Le Fèvre’s Recueil des histories troiennes, c. 1494,[2] and Sebastian Brant’s La nef des fous (Paris, A Bocard for J. Philippe and G. de Marnef, 1497).[3] The Master of Jean d’Albret worked extensively for the printer Antoine Vérard.[4] He also worked for other booksellers such as Thielmann Kerver or in 1510 for Gillet Hardouyn.
We also find him at work, for example, in Jehan Massue, Les Marguerites hystoriales, c. 1495,[5] in La Vie de très Glorieuse royne madame saincte Radegonde,[6] and in an Office of Saint Hubert, offered in 1493 by the bookseller Geoffroy de Marnef to the brotherhood of that name.[7] His style is easily recognized in the Hours of Master Jean de Launay, attorney at the Parliament of Paris.[8] He is distinguished by the representation of faces with a triangular shape in their lower part. The contours of the eyes are very marked. His illuminations are often surrounded by a black or burgundy line, with hair painted brown or black and enhanced with gold undulating waves.
The Master of the Chronique scandaleuse (fl. 1491-1510) owes his name to a manuscript of Jean de Roye’s Chronique parisienne du temps de Louis XI, the copy of which was completed in 1502 for a member of the Dammartin family.[9] He worked for princely clients and illuminated many incunabula by Antoine Vérard that were intended for King Charles VIII for whom he also produced marvellous Très Petites Heures.[10] He illustrated two magnificent manuscripts for Anne of Brittany, that of her Coronation, kept at Waddesdon Manor (22) and of the Epistles of Ovid, by Octavien de Saint-Gelais.[11] He was also in the service of Margaret of Austria and Philippa of Guelders, Duchess of Lorraine.[12]
[1] Delaunay 2000, vol. II, pp. 30-31.
[2] New York, PML 515 CHL NoF1541; see Winn 1997, pp. 198-99, 349, figs. 5.
[3] Dresden, Sächsische Landesbibliothek, Inc. 4114; Winn 1997, p. 198, figs. 4, 26.
[4] For example he illuminated a copy of Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, Euralius et Lucresse, Paris, Antoine Vérard, c. 1493 (London, BL, IB 41145; Winn 1997, fig. 3.2, p. 90); also for Vérard, the Master of Jean d’Albret painted Grandes Heures Royales for Anne de Beaujeu, 1490 (private collection; Winn 1997, p. 195, fig. 4.25) as well as Hours for Charles d’Angoulême, c. 1492 (New York, PML 127775; Winn 1997, p. 159, 4. 12). Finally, his hand can be recognized in Hours for the Use of Rome (Carpentras, BM, MS 54, see Delaunay 2000, vol. II, pp. 28-31: “We propose to name this artist the Master of Jean d’Albret…”), as well as the Kalendrier des Bergers, 18 April 1493, presented to the king by A. Vérard.
[5] Paris, BnF, fr. ms. 955.
[6] Paris, BnF, fr. ms. 1784.
[7] Paris, Arsenal, ms. 168.
[8] Baltimore, Walters Art Museum, ms. W. 448.
[9] Paris, BnF, ms. Clair. 481.
[10] Drouot, 4 XII 2000, lot 25.
[11] Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum, ms. 121.
[12]Avril and Reynaud, Les manuscrits à peints en France 1440-1520, Paris 1993, n° 150-151; France 1500, entre Moyen Âge et Renaissance, Paris 2010-2011, nos. 105, 107.
Miniatures
NB: The modern pencil foliation has misnumbered the leaves from f. 104. In the interest of accuracy and clarity, we have noted the correct foliation, followed by the pencil foliation in parentheses.
24 small calendar miniatures by the Master of Jean d’Albret:
f. 1 January: man at table with his servant; (Aquarius)
f. 1v February: man warming himself by a fire; fish (Pisces)
f. 2 March: pruning of vines; ram (Aries)
f. 2v April: woman holding a golden flower; bull (Taurus)
f. 3 May: Man on horseback holding a falcon; twins (Gemini)
f. 3v June: reaper; crab (Cancer)
f. 4 July: harvest; lion (Leo)
f. 4v August: two men sieving wheat; virgin (Virgo)
f. 5 September: man stomping grapes; scales (Libra)
f. 5v October: man sowing seeds; scorpion (Scorpio)
f. 6 November: Man with swine knocking down acorns; centaur (Sagittarius)
f. 6v December: man baking bread in wood oven; goat emerging from shell (Capricorn)
The following miniatures are mainly half-page sized unless otherwise noted:
f. 7 Betrayal of Judas, Master of Jean d’Albret; hybrid in full border
f. 15 St. John on Patmos, with his eagle; landscape by the Master of Jean d’Albret; the figure of St. John by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; frame elaborated with twisted columns and acanthus leaves; full border with four hybrids
f. 16v St. Luke and the bull (halfway down the page), Master of Jean d’Albret; full border with two hybrids
f. 17v St. Matthew and the angel (halfway down the page), Master of Jean d’Albret; full border with two hybrids and a bird
f. 19 St. Mark and the lion (halfway down the page), beautiful colours of purple, orange, blue and green, Master of Jean d’Albret; full border with two hybrids and a bird
f. 20 Virgin in prayer in heaven (halfway down the page), Master of Jean d’Albret; full border with two hybrids
f. 22v Virgin and Child surrounded by two angels (halfway down the page), Master of Jean d’Albret; two shells in full border
f. 24v Tree of Jesse (full-page), Master of Jean d’Albret; Tree of Jesse is remarkably powerful. The Virgin and Child in the tree by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse;
f. 25 Annunciation, Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; three hybrids (two of which with male and female upper bodies posed in a dispute) and a bird in full borders
f. 32 Visitation, the Virgin by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; Elizabeth wears a large headdress, and an aged Joseph stands behind the Virgin; the landscape characteristic of the Master of Jean d’Albret, with trees composed of touches of dark green enhanced by two lighter greens; three hybrids in full borders
f. 40 Nativity, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; shepherds stand behind the stable; admirably powerful and precise modelling of Joseph’s face; two hybrids in full borders
f. 43 The Annunciation to the Shepherds, Master of Jean d’Albret; two hybrids in full borders
f. 46 The Adoration of the Magi, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin and Child as well as the canopy with its circle motifs by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; two hybrids in full border
f. 49 The Presentation at the Temple, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin and Child by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; the servant holds a candle, an allusion to the feast of Candlemas; two hybrids in full borders
f. 52 Flight into Egypt, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin and Child by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; characteristic landscape of the Master of Jean d’Albret, with its trees and blue hills; his very beautiful Virgin with the blue veil derives from a model by Jean Bourdichon acquired by the Cluny Museum;[1] two hybrids in full borders
f. 57 Coronation of the Virgin, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; clouds of red, gold and blue seraphim; again the frame is elaborated with twisted columns; two hybrids in full borders
f. 71 David watching Bathsheba bathing, Master of Jean d’Albret; Bathsheba by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; she is dressed and wears a golden headdress; four hybrids in full borders
f. 85 Crucifixion, the centurion is on horseback, Master of Jean d’Albret; Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; two hybrids in full borders
f. 88 Pentecost, Master of Jean d’Albret; the Virgin reading her Hours by the Master of the Chronique scandaleuse; St. Peter posed powerfully in prayer, at right in the foreground with admirably precise facial modelling; ; birds and two hybrids in full borders
f. 91 Job on the dunghill visited by his wife and his friends, Master of Jean d’Albret; bird and two hybrids in full borders
f. 118v (117v) Holy Trinity (halfway down the page), Master of Jean d’Albret; two hybrids in partial borders
Suffrages illuminated with small miniatures in the text by the Master of Jean d’Albret:
f. 119 (118) St. Michael; two hybrids in partial borders
f. 119v (118v) St. John the Baptist; two hybrids in partial borders
f. 120 (119) St. John the Evangelist; two hybrids in partial borders
f. 120v (119v) SS. Peter and Paul; bird and hybrid in partial borders
f. 121 (120) St. Sebastian; bird and hybrid in partial borders
f. 121v (120v) St. Nicolas; bird and hybrid in partial borders
f. 122 (121) St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read; partial borders
f. 122v (121v) St. Mary Magdalene; hybrid in partial borders
f. 123 (122) St. Catherine; hybrid in partial borders
f. 123v (122v) St. Barbara; hybrid in partial borders
f. 124 (123) St. Margaret escaping from the dragon; partial borders
[14] Cl. 23798, see Thermes et hôtel de Cluny musée national du Moyen Âge, Œuvres nouvelles, 1995-2005, under the direction of E. Tabouret- Delaye , 10 May-25 Sept. 2006, cat. 35; the model was appreciated in Paris. We know of 8 miniatures corresponding to this prototype; Delaunay, “Échanges artistiques entre livres d’heures manuscrits et imprimés produits à Paris (vers 1480-1500)”, vol. 2, notice of Carpentras ms. 54, pp. 28-31.
Provenance
1. Paris, Charles-Louis-Armand Pajot de Juvisy (1818-1882)
2. Paris, Marie Pajot de Juvisy de Montferrand (1838-1913)
3. Paris, Marie Fernande Caroline Pajot de Juvisy de Montferrand (1862-1913), married to Albert de Sonis, by descent to:
4. Paris, Countess Henriette d’Hespel (née de Sonis;1882-1973), Hubert d’Hespel (1880-1968);
5. Giselle d’Hespel (1905-2000);
6. Europe, private collection
The manuscript was formerly in a 19th-century binding by R. Raparlier, with a crowned gilt number MJ in the centre of the upper cover. This monogram is likely linked to Charles-Louis-Armand Pajot de Juvisy, who had the work bound by Raparlier and it is natural that his number is MJ, (that is to say that the M is placed before the J given the title of Marquis).
This likely happened shortly after he obtained the right to join the names of his parents by an order of Louis-Philippe dated February 17, 1843 (6 mars 1843 ?). His parents were Charles Pajot de Juvisy (born c. 1769), cavalry captain (Capitaine de dragons) and Louise de Montferrand (1780-1865; daughter of Alexandre Louis, Marquis de Montferrand (1742-1831; vicomte de Rosoy, capitaine de dragons au régiment de la Reine), 16th and last of the name.
Another possibility is that MJ may point to Marie Fernande Caroline Pajot de Juvisy de Montferrand (1862-1913), mother of Henriette de Sonis (1882-1973), through whom the book was passed down to Giselle d’Hespel, after whose death the book entered the trade.
Literature
Unpublished.
Further reading:
Avril and Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France 1440-1520. Paris 1993, nos. 150-151.
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