Book of Hours

Georges Trubert; Jean Bourdichon

about 1480–1490

Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold and silver paint, and ink, Tempera Colors, Gold, Ink

J. Paul Getty Museum

A framed illumination depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, crowned by two angels. Below, a burning bush with inscribed text is surrounded by decorative elements. A popular devotional tool, books of hours contain a cycle of prayers and meditations focusing on the Virgin Mary for laypersons to recite at various times of day. Artists personalized the books to suit the requirements and interests of individual patrons. This book, for example, contains two miniatures that allude to specific paintings owned by King René I of Anjou. Eight full-page and six half-page miniatures, as well as numerous historiated initials, decorate this book of hours. The manuscript represents some of the earliest known work of Georges Trubert, who served King René at his court in Provence in the 1480s. Another artist i