 |
| Detail from Book of Hours |
A medieval Book of Hours was an all-purpose devotional: it featured morning and evening prayers, psalms, and popular devotions that were deeply rooted in biblical piety. One of those devotions was the "Hours of the Cross," a way of matching the times of the day with the events of Good Friday. Today's Annunciation comes from the pages of an early 14th century Book of Hours prepared in England for a French user with a Dominican spirituality. Christ's "Hours" (we would call them "stations" of the Cross) are matched with events in Mary's life, according to the time of day they were thought to have happened: the scourging of the pillar with Pentecost (9:00 a.m.); the nailing to the cross with the Annunciation (close to noon, though I don't know of any tradition indicating the time of day of the Annunciation!).
This manuscript is in the collection of the Huntington Library. I thought it fitting to coincide with this week's Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) and memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows September 15).
Here is the image in its two-page context:
 |
| Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery Manuscript EL 9 H 17 |
No comments:
Post a Comment