Collection ID: 0031 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Book of Hours, Use of Paris (The Susanna Hours)

Other related names

• Follower of the Master of Petrarch's Triumphs, French (active Paris), artist (https://viaf.org/viaf/17136835)
• Gamaches, Simon de, former owner
• Collins, Philip S., former owner
• Mary Schell Collins, former owner

Funders

• Council on Library and Information Resources

Call number

1945‑65‑9
(Philadelphia, United States, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Philip S. Collins Collection)

Alternate identifiers

• deRicci: 12

Publisher

Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs

Language

Latin; Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)

Origin

Place

France

Summary

This Book of Hours of the Use of Paris is known as the Susanna Hours on account of its unusual cycle of twelve large miniatures narrating the story of Susanna, each of which is accompanied by a set of five rhyming AABBA verses in French, consisting of unique translations of chapter thirteen of the Book of Daniel. The book begins with a calendar in French (fols. 1r-6v), followed by the Gospel Lessons (fols. 7v-11r) with a full-page miniature of John on Patmos in a classicizing architectural frame (fol. 7r) and smaller miniatures for the readings from Luke (fol. 8v), Matthew (fol. 9v), and Marc (fol. 10v). The Passion According to John (fols. 12r-18v) begins with a large miniature showing the Agony in the Garden (fol. 12r). It and the subsequent large miniatures contain fictive scrolls with five lines of verse each, in French, written in a humanistic hand. The verses below the Agony in the Garden consist of a prayer to Christ's Passion, and are distinct from the subsequent Susanna cycle. The Hours of the Virgin, of the Use of Rome, is intercalated with the Hours of the Cross and the Hours of the Holy Spirit (fols. 19v-72r). However, instead of the habitual Infancy Narrative cycle, Crucifixion, and Pentecost, the large miniatures preceding each Hour pertain to the story of the biblical figure Susanna, narrating her false accusation by the Two Elders through to her redemption and their execution. The cycle illustrates: Susanna and her husband Joachim in a Garden with Attendants (fol. 19r), Susanna Disrobed at her Bath with two Attendants (fol. 34v), Susanna Threatened by the Two Elders (Matins for Hours of the Cross, fol. 42r), Susanna Discovered as she is given a Mirror and a Comb by an Attendant (Matins for Hours of the Holy Spirit, fol. 43v), Susanna Condemned by the Two Elders (fol. 45r), Susanna Brought before the Two Elders (fol. 50r), The Two Elders Bear False Witness against Susanna (fol. 54r), Susanna Appeals to the Lord (fol. 58r), Susanna's Death Procession Interrupted (fol. 62r), and Daniel Separates the Two Elders (fol. 67v). The following sections of the Book of Hours, habitually introduced by miniatures representing King David (for the Penitential Psalms, Litany, and Prayers, fols. 73v-85v) and a funeral scene (for the Office of the Dead, fols. 86v-116v), instead continue the Susanna narrative, with facing-page miniatures of Daniel Interrogating the Two Elders and Susanna Reunited with Joachim (fols. 72v-73r) and a single miniature of the Lapidation of the Two Elders to conclude the narrative (fol. 86r). The final sections of the book include the Obsecro te, O intemerata, Stabat Mater and a Prayer on the Conception of the Virgin (fols. 117v-123v), introduced by a large miniature showing a female donor before the Virgin and Child (fol. 117r) and smaller miniatures of the Virgin and Saint John at the Cross (fol. 119v), the Lamentation (fol. 121r), and the Meeting at the Golden Gate (fol. 122v). The following section, dedicated to suffrages (fols. 124v-136v), opens with a suffrage and a large miniature dedicated the Trinity (fol. 124r). It and the previous large miniature (fol. 117r) are also accompanied by illusionistic scrolls with thematic verses in French. The subsequent suffrages are dedicated to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and Saints Michael, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, Peter and Paul, James, All Apostles, Stephen, Lawrence, Sebastian, Denis, Anne, Mary Magdalene, Catherine, Margaret, Barbara, Geneviève, Apollonia, Jerome, Gilbert, René, Francis, Clare, and Elizabeth. Each is accompanied by small miniature. The final text consists of a Prayer to the Cross (fols. 137r-137v). The style of the illuminations is close to the so-called Master of Petrarch's Triumphs and suggests that the book was produced in Paris between about 1505 and 1520. Early provenance notes indicate that the book was in the possession of the Gamaches family by the mid-sixteenth century.

Notes

• Paper flyleaves
   
• Calendar and verses under full-page illuminations in French
   

Extent

I+138+i; 180 x 120 mm bound to 185 x 130 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto

Collation

1 (6), 2-17 (8), 18 (4, +1 +2 +3 +4)

Support

Parchment

Catchwords

Vertical catchwords in ink, lower right last verso, quires 1-15

Binding

Sixteenth-century French leather, gilt-tooled, including name Jehan Le ??? (three letters, effaced) on front cover and initial R or monogram TR on back cover, with remains of two pairs of ribbon ties; pink and green silk ribbon bookmark with multiple strands; in a modern red clamshell

Layout

One column of twenty-two lines; frame-ruled in red ink; written area: 125 x 78 mm

Decoration

Sixteen full-page miniatures surrounded by gold architectural frames; thirty-two small miniatures; full all'antica-style illuminated borders on pages facing large miniatures (except for miniature on fol. 7r) and on pages with small miniatures

Script

Bâtarde

Humanistic

Provenance

• Gamaches family, 1563 to 1610 (fol. 137v: birthdates begin with Marguerite de Gamaches, 24 June 1563, and end with Anthoinette de Gamaches, 15 June 1610); Simon de Gamaches, 1607 (note and signature front flyleaf recto: "Le présent livre appartient à Simon de Gamaches procureur du Roy à Meullan. A luy a esté[?] donné par dame... delivré[?]... religieux en labay de St. Correntin (?) en l'an 1607. Iegamaches."); Philip S. Collins (bookplate, inside upper cover); gift of Mary Schell Collins in memory of her husband, 1945
   

Related resources

• Zigrosser, Carl, "The Philip S. Collins Collection of Mediaeval Illuminated Manuscripts," Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin 58, no. 275 (Autumn 1962): p. 24 (article pp. 3-34).
• Louise W. Lippincott, "The Unnatural History of Dragons", Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 77, No. 334 (Winter, 1981), p. 23 (article pp. 2-24).
• Wieck, Roger S., "The Susanna Hours," in Tributes in Honor of James H. Marrow: Studies in Painting and Manuscript Illumination of the Late Middle Ages and Northern Renaissance, eds. Jeffrey Hamburger and Anne Korteweg (London: Harvey Miller, 2006) pp. , figs. 1, 3 (article pp. 577-84).

Keywords

• Book of Hours
• 16th century
• French
• France
• Notable binding
• Miniature

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, 1945‑65‑9: Book of Hours, Use of Paris (The Susanna Hours) are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, Philadelphia Museum of Art has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs 1945‑65‑9: Book of Hours, Use of Paris (The Susanna Hours). This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• Flyleaf 1 recto — Ownership note of Simon de Gamaches, in French
• fol. 1r — Calendar, in French
• fol. 7v — Gospel Lessons
• fol. 11v — Poem, in French, "O benoist Iesuchrist, Qui mort et passion..."
• fol. 12r — Passion according to Saint John
• fol. 19r — Poem, in French, "En Babiloyne estoit ung noble personnaige..."
• fol. 19v — Hours of the Virgin (Matins)
• fol. 34v — Poem, in French, "Susanne (en son vergier) pleine de grande beaulté..."
• fol. 35r — Hours of the Virgin (Lauds)
• fol. 42r — Poem, in French, "Les deux servantes hors, Et le vergier bien clos..."
• fol. 42v — Hours of the Cross (Matins)
• fol. 43v — Poem, in French, "Susanne a haulte voix piteusement exclame..."
• fol. 44r — Hours of the Holy Spirit (Matins)
• fol. 45r — Poem, in French, "Serviteurs esbahys. Et ce sceu par la ville..."
• fol. 45v — Hours of the Holy Virgin (Prime)
• fol. 50r — Poem, in French, "Susanne délicate et la face très belle..."
• fol. 50v — Hours of the Virgin (Terce)
• fol. 54r — Poem, in French, "Ces prêstres disoyent. Quant au vergier arrivèrent..."
• fol. 54v — Hours of the Virgin (Sext)
• fol. 58r — Poem, in French, "Susanne hault s'éscrie. Et dist. Dieu éternel..."
• fol. 58v — Hours of the Virgin (None)
• fol. 62r — Poem, in French, "Menant Susanne à mort. Dieu l'ésprit suscite..."
• fol. 62v — Hours of the Virgin (Vespers)
• fol. 67v — Poem, in French, "Le peuple retourne. Les deux vieillards tout doulx..."
• fol. 68r — Hours of the Holy Spirit (Compline)
• fol. 72v — Poem, in French, "Les vieillards divisés. L'enfant l'un interrogue..."
• fol. 73r — Poem, in French, "Susanne adsoulte fut du crime et vitupère..."
• fol. 73v — Penitential Psalms, Litany, and Prayers
• fol. 86r — Poem, in French, "Les deux prestres vieillards et faulx accusateurs..."
• fol. 86v — Office of the Dead
• fol. 117r — Poem, in French, "Doulce Royne des cieux, humble vierge pucelle..."
• fol. 117v — Obsecro te, followed by O intemerata, Stabat Mater, and a Prayer to the Conception of the Virgin Mary
• fol. 124r — Poem, in French, "Indivisible Saincte et haulte trinité..."
• fol. 124v — Suffrages for Male Saints
• fol. 131r — Suffrages for Female Saints
• fol. 135r — Additional Suffrages
• fol. 138r — Added prayer, in French, "O doulx croix signe resplendissant..."
• fol. 138v — Early ownership notes
• Flyleaf 1 recto — Ownership note of Simon de Gamaches, in French

Decorations

• Inside front cover — Bookplate, Philip S. Collins
• fol. 7r — Full-page miniature, Saint John on Patmos
• fol. 7r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 7v — Illuminated initial I
• fol. 8r — Illuminated initial P
• fol. 8v — Small miniature, Saint Luke
• fol. 8v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 8v — Illuminated initial I
• fol. 9v — Small miniature, Saint Matthew
• fol. 9v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 10v — Small miniature, Saint Mark
• fol. 11v — Large miniature, Agony in the Garden
• fol. 11v — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 12r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 12r — Illuminated initial E
• fol. 18r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 18v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 19r — Large miniature, Joachim and Susanna in a Garden with Attendants
• fol. 19r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 19v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 34v — Large miniature, Susanna Disrobed at her Bath with two Attendants
• fol. 34v — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 35r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 41v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 42r — Large miniature, Susanna Threatened by the Two Elders
• fol. 42r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 42v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 43v — Large miniature, Susanna Discovered as she is given a Mirror and a Comb by an Attendant
• fol. 43v — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 44r — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 44r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 44v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 45r — Large miniature, Susanna Condemned by the Two Elders
• fol. 45r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 45v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 49v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 50r — Large miniature, Susanna Brought before the Two Elders
• fol. 50r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 50v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 53v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 54r — Large miniature, The Two Elders Bear False Witness against Susanna
• fol. 54r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 54v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 57v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 58r — Large miniature, Susanna Appeals to the Lord
• fol. 58r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 58v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 61v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 62r — Large miniature, Susanna's Death Procession Interrupted
• fol. 62r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 62v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 67v — Large miniature, Daniel Separates the Two Elders
• fol. 67v — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 68r — Illuminated initial C
• fol. 68r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 72v — Large miniature, Daniel Interrogates the Two Elders
• fol. 72v — Gold architectural frame
• fol. 73r — Large miniature, Susanna Reunited with Joachim
• fol. 73r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 73v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 85v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 86r — Large miniature, The Lapidation of the Two Elders
• fol. 86r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 86v — Illuminated initial D
• fol. 115v — Illuminated initial A
• fol. 116v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 117r — Large miniature, Virgin and Child with female donor
• fol. 117r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 117v — Illuminated initial O
• fol. 119v — Small miniature, Mary and John with an Empty Cross
• fol. 119v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 121r — Small miniature, Lamentation
• fol. 121r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 122v — Small miniature, Joachim and Anne Meeting at the Golden Gate
• fol. 122v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 124r — Large miniature, The Trinity as Throne of Mercy flanked by two Angels
• fol. 124r — Gold architectural frame with putti
• fol. 124v — Small miniature, God the Father
• fol. 124v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 125r — Small miniature, God the Son
• fol. 125r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 125v — Small miniature, God the Holy Spirit
• fol. 125v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 126r — Small miniature, Saint Michael
• fol. 126r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 126v — Small miniature, Saint John the Baptist
• fol. 126v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 127r — Small miniature, Saint John the Evangelist
• fol. 127r — Small miniature, Saints Peter and Paul
• fol. 127r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 127v — Small miniature, Saint James
• fol. 127v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 128r — Small miniature, All Apostles
• fol. 128r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 128v — Small miniature, Saint Stephen
• fol. 128v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 129r — Small miniature, Saint Lawrence
• fol. 129r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 129v — Small miniature, Saint Sebastian
• fol. 129v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 130r — Small miniature, Saint Denis
• fol. 130r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 131r — Small miniature, Saint Anne with the Virgin
• fol. 131r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 131v — Small miniature, Saint Mary Magdalene
• fol. 131v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 132r — Small miniature, Saint Catherine
• fol. 132r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 132v — Small miniature, Saint Margaret
• fol. 132v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 133r — Small miniature, Saint Barbara
• fol. 133r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 133v — Small miniature, Saint Genevieve
• fol. 133v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 134r — Small miniature, Saint Apollonia
• fol. 134r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 135r — Small miniature, Saint Jerome
• fol. 135r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 135v — Small miniature, Saint Gilbert
• fol. 135v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 136r — Small miniature, Saint Renatus
• fol. 136r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 136v — Small miniature, Saint Francis
• fol. 136v — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 137r — Small miniature, Saint Clare
• fol. 137r — Full all'antica border on gold ground
• fol. 137v — Small miniature, Saint Elizabeth with John the Baptist and a Lamb
• fol. 137v — Full all'antica border on gold ground