Folio from a book of hours

Folio from a book of hours
Flemish
Mid-15th century
Painted and gilt parchment
42 x 29 cm, with frame 56 x 44 cm
In a 15th-century Gothic frame
Inscription “Tota pulchra es, amica mea, et macula non est in te * Dignare me laudare te * Cant 4” (Song of Songs 4:7)

This magnificently illuminated folio is a page from a 15th-century Flemish book of hours. Books of hours – livres d’heures – were among the most popular devotional books of the late Middle Ages and were used for private worship. They contained prayers, psalms, and litanies based on the liturgy of the hours of the Church and were often richly decorated with miniatures. In the 15th century, an important art of book illumination developed, particularly in Flanders, which is known for its attention to detail, bright colors, and naturalistic depictions.

In the upper left corner is an elaborately designed initial showing a kneeling man in front of a throne chair in an open landscape scene. This figure could be either the donor of the manuscript—depicted in a humble posture of prayer as a sign of personal piety and submission to God—or the biblical King David, as suggested by the attributes lying on the ground: a king’s crown and a stringed instrument, probably a harp. This interpretation would fit with depictions of David as the author of the Psalms, which often introduce the penitential psalms in books of hours. David is shown here not in his royal dignity, but in spiritual contemplation – as a symbol of repentance, humility, and communion with God. The finely executed drapery of his robe, the perspective depth of the landscape, and the subtle modeling of light and shadow testify to the high quality of the painting.

The margins are interspersed with vine ornaments in blue and green, from which delicate leaves and flowers sprout. Numerous animals frolic among them – including monkeys, birds, and dogs – giving the viewer an insight into the playful and symbolic world of late medieval marginal decorations. Particularly striking is the scene in the lower left margin, where three dogs face each other in combat—a popular motif that can allude to both secular life and allegorical meanings, such as the struggle between virtue and vice.

The frame is also unusual: it is a 15th-century Gothic example that harmoniously complements the manuscript with its fine structure and rich molding. The inscription on it reads: “Tota pulchra es, amica mea, et macula non est in te. Dignare me laudare te. Cant. 4” (“You are all beautiful, my friend, and there is no blemish in you. Grant me to praise you.” – Song of Songs 4).

These words from the Song of Solomon are often referred to in Christian tradition as relating to the Virgin Mary, emphasizing her immaculate beauty and purity. Together with the depicted donor figure and the rich ornamental design, the folio unfolds an impressive combination of personal devotion, artistic virtuosity, and Marian symbolism.