Miniature from a Prayer Book or a Book of Hours

Simon Marmion

about 1475–1480

Tempera colors and gold, Tempera Colors, Gold

J. Paul Getty Museum

This manuscript cutting is a miniature from a Prayer Book or Book of Hours, a popular devotional book in the Middle Ages. The recto's miniature illustrates Saint Bernard's Vision of the Virgin and Child, a commonly depicted subject in these books. In the scene, Saint Bernard, a Cistercian monk, and renowned theologian, is depicted in prayer before the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child, both adorned with radiant halos, emphasizing their divine nature. This image portrays Bernard's plea to Mary to prove herself as the Mother of God. Remarkably, upon his request, the statue miraculously begins to lactate, confirming Mary's divine role a