Leaf from a Book of Hours

Rohan Master

about 1410–1430

Tempera colors, gold, and ink, Tempera Colors, Ink

J. Paul Getty Museum

A manuscript illumination depicts a crowded scene with multiple figures in architectural settings. A decorative border frames the central illustration, which includes text and small animal figures. This magnificent leaf is from an otherwise lost manuscript that may have never been completed, as the leaf features unfinished miniatures on both sides. The front of the leaf likely depicts the refusal of the offering of Joachim and Anna at the Temple. According to Christian legend, when Joachim and Anna approached the Temple with an animal sacrifice on a feast day, they were turned away by the high priest, based on their childless, and therefore, unfavored state in the eyes of God. The story is represented as an elaborate scene of chaos and disruption, with figures, animals, and complex architecture weaving around the text and the