This amazing manuscript was conceived as the most luxurious of the Flemish breviaries; each page has been masterfully illuminated by the best painters in Flanders in order to achieve a manuscript of unparalleled beauty and sumptuousness.<\/p>\n
The originality and power of its miniatures make the Breviary of Isabella the Catholic a unique codex. With a larger body of text than the Book of Hours, the Breviary offered illuminators a wider range of subjects, thus allowing for greater creative freedom and a greater variety of imagery. The six masters who worked on the Breviary of Isabella the Catholic placed particular emphasis on scenes depicting the construction, destruction, and reconstruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, as well as celebratory scenes with musicians and singers under the direction of David. No similar cycle exists in any other contemporary manuscript.<\/p>\n
The Master of the Dresden Prayer Book is the principal painter of the Breviary. He is renowned for the narrative expressiveness of his images, for his ability to bring his scenes to life with movement. His skill in depicting the gestures of the figures and the expressiveness of their faces is astonishing, underscoring the significance of the main action in each episode. G\u00e9rard Horenbout, also known as the Master of James IV of Scotland, is the second major contributor to the illumination of the Breviary of Isabella I of Castile. This brilliant miniaturist, who also created the Book of Hours of Joanna I of Castile, was among the first Flemish illuminators to adopt characteristic Renaissance elements in his miniatures. The scenes Horenbout painted for this exceptional breviary are distinguished by their brilliant use of color and their skillful rendering of textures and fabrics. The gifted hand of G\u00e9rard David painted some of the most important miniatures in this breviary: the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, Saint Barbara\u2026<\/p>\n
The exuberant marginal decoration of the Breviary of Isabella the Catholic deserves special attention. It presents a unique combination of modern borders that create the illusion of scattered flowers, acanthus leaves, and intertwined branches with a type of margin already uncommon around 1490, featuring blue and gold acanthus leaves, flowers, insects, and birds. Isabella the Catholic received the manuscript shortly before 1497 from her ambassador, Francisco de Rojas, to commemorate the double marriage of her children, the Infantes John and Joanna, to those of Emperor Maximilian of Austria and Duchess Mary of Burgundy, Margaret and Philip. A full-page miniature shows the coat of arms jointly established by Isabella and Ferdinand, with a large eagle, symbol of Saint John the Evangelist. Below it appear the coats of arms of the two newly married couples. The Breviary of Isabella the Catholic is of great historical significance because it reflects not only artistic reality but also the turbulent European political life of the late 15th century, in which royal marriages signified international political alliances, territorial expansions, and more.<\/p>\n
Queen Isabella died in 1504, and the fate of the codex for the next three centuries is unknown. It may have been looted from El Escorial during the Napoleonic invasion. At the beginning of the 19th century, it appeared in England in the collection of John Dent, a bibliophile, banker, and Member of Parliament. The British Library acquired it from another private collector in 1852.<\/p>\n
A stunning facsimile edition from the Moleiro publishing house, limited to 987 numbered and notarized copies. 16 x 23 cm format. 1,046 beautifully illuminated pages. Bound in embossed brown leather.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by a monographic study by Scot McKendrick (Head of the Department of History and Classical Literature at the British Library), Elisa Ruiz Garc\u00eda (Professor of Paleography and Diplomatics, Complutense University of Madrid), and Nigel Morgan (Honorary Emeritus Professor of Art History, University of Cambridge). 352 pages with 290 illustrations.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Breviary of Isabella the Catholic is the British Library's most prized treasure. This astonishing manuscript was conceived as the most luxurious of Flemish breviaries; each page was masterfully illuminated by the finest Flemish painters to create a manuscript of unparalleled beauty and splendor.<\/p>\n
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