Facsimile  of  The  Book  of  Hours  of  Alexander  VI  

 Origin  Early  1500’s  Artist-­‐Gerard  David,    

Flemish  workshop  in  Bruges  

I.  ARGUMENTS:    ·              Trade  and  new  technology  like  the  printing  press  allowed  for  the  rapid  dissemination  of  information  and  knowledge  and  cross-­‐cultural  production  in  art  that  is  evident  in  manuscripts  and  their  facsimiles.  o   Attracted  wealthy  patrons  who  supported  the  development  of  talented  artists  and  workshops  o   Exchange  of  and  commentary  on  influences,  styles,  and  genres  from  other  areas  o      Nobles,  politicians,  and  clergy  members  commissioned  projects  to  be  made  in  other  places  by  outside  artists  with  specific  skills  and  reputations  that  they  preferred.  o      People  from  various  classes,  from  wealthy  patrons  to  poor  vendors,  benefited  ·         Facsimiles  offer  a  permanent  pictorial  record  of  life  during  the  medieval  ages  by  creating  a  space  for  contemporary  physical  interaction  and  provide  a  more  realistic  and  detailed  view  of  the  text  and  illustrations.  o      “No  better  art  form  is  better  represented  in  a  book  than  the  book  itself.”    

II.  TECHNICAL  a. Production  of  Manuscripts  b. Function  of  Manuscripts  c. Production  of  Facsimiles  

III.  BIOGRAPHICAL  INFORMATION  IV.  VISUAL  ANALYSIS  

 

II.  Technical:     a.       Production  of  manuscripts  

● Quires  ● Binding    ● Copying  the  Text  

○ Inks  ● Illumination:  

○ Paints  

II.  Technical:     b.    Function  of  Manuscripts    

● Books  of  Hours  developed  specifically  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  individuals  and  were  not  intended  for  communal  devotion  

● Ownership  of  these  manuscripts  was  limited  to  royalty,  nobility  and  the  very  rich  

● Adorned  with  coats  of  arms  and  sometimes  included  the  patrons  portraits  within  the  painted  miniatures  

● The  books  themselves  were  small  and  were  meant  to  be  portable  

● The  standard  format  of  a  Book  of  Hours  usually  began  with  liturgical  calendar,  the  seven  Penitential  Psalms,  and  various  prayers  dedicated  to  the  desired  saints  selected  by  the  patron  

 

II.  Technical:     c.  Production  of  facsimiles    

● Uses  the  original  illuminated  manuscript  ● Lithography  ● Professionals  work  with  the  original  manuscript  to  create  the  binding,  covers,  paper,  and  colors  of  the  original  

● The  facsimile  is  the  most  effective  way  to  gather  meaningful  information  on  the  context,  artistry,  materials,  size,  heft,  colors,  and  binding  techniques  of  original  manuscripts.  

 

This Facsimile ● Tisch Library houses a collection of 9 facsimiles ● Facsimile was created in 2004, in Valencia,

Spain ● 500 copies were made, our specific facsimile is

copy number 224 ● Attributes of a excellent facsimile- ● paper quality, ● binding method, ● leather engraving

 

The  Borgias  Family    

●  Borgia  family  originated  in  Valencia,  in  present  day  Spain  

● Family  reached  the  highest  echelons  of  political  power  during  the  15th  and  16th  century  

● The  Borgia  family  produced  3  popes-­‐  Pope  Calixtus  III,  Pope  Alexander  VI,  and  Pope  Innocent  X  

● Alexander  VI  used  the  marriages  of  his  children  to  build  powerful  alliances  between  Italy  and  Spain  

 

The  Pope  ● 1492-­‐1503  ● second  of  the  Borgia  popes  ● papal  shield  includes  his  Oms-­‐Fenollet  family  lineage  

● commissioned  the  renovation  and  decoration  of  secular  and  religious  buildings  as  well  as  codices  and  legal  texts.    

 

The  Artist    

● Gerard  David  +  workshop  in  Bruges  ● Unity=  Attention  to  landscape,  the  decoration  is  ornate,  there  are  illusionary  effects,  and  a  focus  on  the  narrative  function  of  images  

● David=  Fleming  artist  born  1455  ● David  worked  in  a  progressive  mode,  casting  off  his  late  medieval  heritage  and  proceeding  with  a  certain  purity  

       

VISUAL  ANALYSIS    

The  Cross

The  Borders

 Antoniazzo  Romano-­‐The  Death  of  Francesca  Romana,  Tor  de’  Specchi  

 

 The  Annunciation    

Masolino’s  Annunciation  

The  Holy  Face

   

The  Coat  of  Arms  

The  Crucifixion  

To  Reiterate:         This  facsimile  should  be  included  in  the  textbook,  specifically  as  an  Object  in  View,  because  of  it  acts  as  physical  and  tangible  evidence  of  the  cross-­‐cultural  production  and  new  technology  of  the  Renaissance  for  contemporary  viewers.          

Bibliography:  Anderson, Tom. “Toward a Cross-Cultural Approach to Art Criticism.” Studies in Art education. Vol. 36, No. 4. (1995). JStor. Web. 5 April 2013. Cotter, James F. "Illuminated Books." The Hudson Review 3.2 (1984): 295-300. JSTOR. Web. 13 Apr. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3850938 .>. Desfilis, Amadeo Serra. Libro de Horas de Alejandro VI. Universitat de València, 2004. Drigsdahl, Erik. "Hours of the Cross-Introduction." Tutorials on Books of Hours. CHD Center for Håndskriftstudier I Danmark, 30 Jan. 2005. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000. Web. 5 April 2013. "Medieval Manuscript: Guide." Medieval Manuscript Basics: Guide. Free Library of Philadelphia, 2012. Web. 05 Apr. 2013. Manfred Kramer.“What Is a Facsimile? The History and Technique of the Facsimile“. Sammelheft, 1993. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. Paoletti, J. and G. Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy (Laurence King, 2001), 326-327, 347. Taormina, Rob. "Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts." Medieval

Illuminated Manuscripts. NehushtanAntiques, Dec. 2011. Web. 05 Apr. 2013.

Rushmeier, Holly. "Studying the Book of Hours: Creating Tools for Scholars and Evaluating Manuscript Digitization." Yale Digital Collections Center. Yale University, 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2013.