Book of Hours | Use of Lyon, likely by the Master of the Alarmes de Mars, c. 1500-1510

Book of Hours, likely workshop of the Master of the Alarmes de Mars, Latin and French, illuminated manuscript on vellum, Use of Lyon, c. 1500-1510

120 leaves (168 mm x 102 mm), written in attractive Gothic book hand, ruled, 19 lines (109 x 59 mm), complete calendar in French with rubrications and small gold initials for important feast days (feast days of Photinus, Rambert, Annemundus, Gabin as well as the inclusion of Saint Nicetius and Eucherius, bishops of Lyon indicate use of Lyon), 3 full-page illuminations showing St Thomas on Patmos, Annunciation, and Resurrection of Lazarus, with 14 decorative borders and 14 smaller miniatures (7 lines high); edges slightly rubbed in lower right corner and lower left corner, leaves slight trimmed due to rebinding (no loss of text), minor darkening in margins, pigments slightly rubbed on face of St Thomas. Nineteenth-century green morocco, elaborate gilt tooling, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, metal clasp. Collector's clamshell box.

A refined Book of Hours, richly illuminated likely by a leading Lyonnais workshop that served royal patrons.

Luxuriously illuminated Books of Hours such as this were created for distinguished patrons seeking to observe devotional practices within the comfort of their own homes. These deeply personal volumes offered a daily cycle of prayers, lessons, and psalms—centered on the Office of the Virgin, which brought together prayers in honor of the Virgin Mary. To this core text, patrons often added personalized suffrages to their namesake saints and martyrs, further tailoring the manuscript to their individual spiritual life.

This Book of Hours, created for the use in the Diocese of Lyon, includes three full-page illuminations alongside fourteen smaller miniatures. The full-page miniatures might be by the hand of the so-called Master of the Alarmes de Mars, while the smaller illuminations are by an associate. The Book of Hours offers striking similarities to no. 64 in Burin’s Manuscript Illumination in Lyons 1473-1450. According to Burin, the works of the Alarmes workshop embody "the emergence of a new aesthetic in Lyonnais art" with their "balanced composition, the bold primary colours" and "neatly finished, sculptural quality of the human and animal figures." The workshop of the Alarmes Master produced manuscripts for royal patrons, such as Charles VIII and Louis XII, catering to Renaissance tastes with compositions projecting "a classical sense of clarity."

The three full-page miniatures are enclosed within gilt architectural frames in a Grecian style which add to the Renaissance feel of the manuscript. The artist employed a vivid and varied palette—rich greens, reds, blues, ochres, and deep grays—combined with finely articulated figures distinguished by chiseled noses, eyes, and lips. Particularly in the raising of Lazarus, the artist captures the emotional and visceral response of the onlookers, poignantly contrasting Christ's serene demeanor with that of a bystander covering his face in revulsion over the miasma escaping Lazarus‘s grave. The workshop demonstrates exceptional command of composition, with refined architectural settings and sartorial details; textiles are frequently heightened with delicate gold hatching.

An outstanding example of Lyonnais Renaissance illumination, combining classical refinement with powerful narrative presence.

ILLUMINATIONS

3 full-page illuminations showing:

- f.13r, St Thomas on Patmos

- f.23r, Annunciation

- f.75r, Resurrection of Lazarus

14 smaller miniatures (7 lines high) showing:

- f.14v, St Luke,

- f. 15v, St Matthew with an angel dictating

- f.17r, St Marc

- f.18v, Virgin and Child

- f.37r, Mary and St Anne

- f.44v, Crucifixion

- f.45v, Pentecost

- f.46v, Mary and Joseph with Christ child in manger

- f.53r, Annunciation to the shepherds

- f.56r, Adoration of the Magi

- f. 59r, Presentation in the Temple

- f.61v, Flight to Egypt

- f.67r, Veneration of Mary

- f.110v, Funeral Scene.

TEXTS

- f.1r-12v, Calendar. The calendar for the Use of Lyons includes the feast days of Photinus, Rambert, Annemundus, Gabin as well as the inclusion of Saint Nicetius and Eucherius, bishops of Lyon which confirm the use of Lyon.

- f.13v-18r, Readings from: St John, St Luke, St Matthew, St Marc

- f.18v-21v, Obsecro te

- f.22v-24v, Office of the Virgin, Matin (Domine Labia Mea in subtitle to annunciation miniature)

- f. 24v-27v, Benedicta tu

- f.27v-30v, Specie tua

- f.30v, Office of the Virign, Matin continued

- f.35v-37r, Te deum

-f.37r-44v, Office of the Virgin, Lauds

- f. 44v-45v, Office of the Cross, Matins

- f.45v-46v, Office of the Holy Spirit, Matins

-f.46v-52v, Office of the Virgin, Prime

- f.52v-55v, Office of the Cross, Prime

- f.55v-57, Office of the Cross, Terce

- f. 57r-58v, Hours of the Cross, Sext

- f.58v-61r, Office of the Holy Spirit, Sext

- f.61r-66v, Office of the Cross, None

- f.66v-67r, Office of the Cross, Vespers

- f.67r-70v, Office of the Virgin, Compline

- f.70v-74r, Office of the Cross, Compline

-f.75r-100v, Office of the Dead, Matins

- f.101r-117, Office of the Dead, Lauds

REFERENCES:

Burin, Elizabeth. Manuscript Illumination in Lyons 1473–1530, Brepols Publishers, Turnhout, 2002 — Burin, Elizabeth. “Patrons and Illuminators in Lyons: Shaping the Manuscript Market around 1500,” Manuscripta 43 (2003): 45–64 — Manuscripts: Yale University Library, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, ms. 435, no. 64 in Burin (Tenschert Leuchtendes Mittelalter V, no. 29) — Possibly the earliest known manuscript illustrated by the Alarmes Master is a Book of Hours sold at Sotheby's London, 22 June 1993, lot 99; cat. 63 — The Master of the Alarmes de Mars is responsible for 6 manuscripts (Burin cat. 47, 49, 52, 60, 61, 63) and created parts of 4 others (Burin cat. 51, 53, 56, 59) as well as 2 leaves (Burin cat. 55, 62) — Worked on presentation copy for Charles VIII of André de la Vigne's Ressource de la chrestiente (Paris, BNF, ms. fr. 1687; cat. 60) — An unknown treatise on the art of letter writing, La Perle poerique, sold at Christie's London, 5 December 1973, lot 76; cat. 49