TheBlack Hours,MS M.493 (or theMorgan Black Hours) is anilluminatedbook of hours completed inBruges between 1460 and 1475.[1] It consists of 121 pages (leaves) with Latin text written inGothic minuscule script. The words are arranged in rows of fourteen lines and follow theRoman version of the texts. The lettering is inscribed in silver andgold and placed within borders ornamented with flowers, foliage andgrotesques, on pages dyed a deep blueish black; hence its designation as ablack book of hours. The book contains fourteen full-pageminiatures and opens with the months of theliturgical calendar (folios 3verso – 14 recto), followed by theHours of the Virgin, and ends with theOffice of the Dead (folio 121v).
MS M.493 has been in the collection of theMorgan Library & Museum, New York, since 1912. It is one of seven surviving black books of hours, all originating from Bruges and dated to the mid-to-late 15th century. They are so named for their unusual dark blueish appearance, a colourisation achieved through the expensive process of dyeing thevellum withiron gall ink. This dye is very corrosive and the surviving examples are mostly badly decomposed; MS M.493 is in relatively good condition due to its very thick parchment.
The book is a masterpiece of Late Gothicmanuscript illumination.[2] However, no records survive of its commission, but its uniquely dark tone, expense of production, quality and rarity suggest ownership by privileged and sophisticated members of theBurgundian court. The book is often attributed, on stylistic grounds, to a follower ofWillem Vrelant, a leading and influential Flemish illuminator.
Theblack books of hours are a grouping of four to five (some books so defined contain only a few pages in this style) extantFlemish illuminated manuscripts so named for their dark appearance.[3] The effect was achieved by soaking the vellum in black dye or ink before they were lettered with gold and silver leaf.[4] The black dye was highly corrosive so the metals had to be of high purity, and the vellum needed to be unusually thick to survive the process.[5] The black manuscripts date from about 1455–80 and include the "Black Hours, Hispanic Society, New York" (c. 1458), "Black Hours of Galeazzo Maria Sforza" (c. 1466–67) and the "Hours of Mary of Burgundy" (c. 1477).[6][7] The artwork is of a sophisticated and unusual taste, and the uncommon colour of the pages likely carried an almost mystical aura for the owner.[8] MS M.493 can thus be assumed as intended for high nobility; probably from the court ofPhilip the Good orCharles the Bold.[9]
The members of theBurgundian court were known to have had a preference for dark, sombre colours, and the black books can be assumed to have been designed specifically for their taste.[10] Black books were more highly regarded than conventional illuminated books of hours, and today art historians assume they were commissioned by the court ofPhilip the Good.[8] Philip's proclivity for black arose from thebrutal assassination in 1419 of his fatherJohn the Fearless. The funeral procession was lined with 2000 black flags with blackstandards. From then on, Philip wore only black clothes as an expression of his grief.[5] The style was adapted by other members of the court, who seem to have favoured black against gold and silver in artworks as well in formal dress, as can be seen inRogier van der Weyden's contemporaryJean Wauquelin presenting his 'Chroniques de Hainaut' to Philip the Good.[11]Emperor Maximilian I observed of the Burgundian rulers that their collections were "luxurious, the home treasury, and the library full of treasures, and the court ceremonial were oriented on a godlike super-elevation of the ruler."[5]
The manuscript does not contain any family crest to identify the donor, who, given the expense of the book and its labour-intensive production, is assumed to have been a high-ranking member of court.[8]Feast days noted in the calendars, including forDonatian of Reims (14 October), indicate it was produced in Bruges; or, given the inclusion of the feast ofLivinus (12 November), possibly inGhent.[12]
The artists who designed, illustrated and inscribed MS M.493 are unknown, as are the circumstances of its commission. The book is often linked to the circle of theUtrecht illuminatorWillem Vrelant, who was highly regarded and successful and was active in Bruges from the 1450s until his death in 1481.[1] This tentative attribution is based on the resemblance of some of the figures in the miniatures to those in works attributed to him; the angular and linear manner of the figures' clothes is also consistent with his style.[11] The text "pro me peccatore" (for me, a sinner), which uses a masculine form of the Latin noun meaning "sinner", indicates that the book was produced for a man. Additionally, the inventory records of its mid-19th-century owner Nicholas Yemeniz state that it was produced by a workshop which had often been commissioned by the Burgundian Dukes.[12]
Other possible attributions include the circle of the French painterPhilippe de Mazerolles (d. 1479),[12] or the workshop ofLieven van Lathem (active 1454–93).[11] According to the Morgan Library, van Lathem's influence can be seen in the "figures in angular drapery [who] move somewhat stiffly in shallowly defined spaces ... [while] the men's flat faces are dominated by large noses".[1] The style of the miniatures and borders is similar to those produced by the Galeazzo Maria Sforza in Vienna, but they are not from the same workshop.[13][14]
The manuscript consists of 122 pages each measuring about 17 cm × 12 cm (6.7 in × 4.7 in). The borders are mostly coloured light blue,[5] while the illustrations are overwhelmingly dark, and of black, grey red, old rose and green pigments, with some white and flesh-tone colours. Each miniature is placed opposite the text of a prayer set against a dark background. This book's solemnity is in contrast to the bright colours found in most contemporarybooks of hours and seems to reflect a rather gloomy and mournful outlook.[8] The many shades of blue were achieved from a variety of ingredients, each allowing varying depths and varieties of colour.[11] The miniature's technique and style can be dated as around 1475. In the 15th century,Ultramarine pigment was extremely rare and worth more by weight than gold;[11] thusits prevalence in this work is an indicator of the commissioner's wealth.[15][16]
Theopening letters of each prayer are formed from gold leaf on green ground.[2] Their texts contain words from the Hours of the Cross, the Hours of the Holy Spirit, the Mass of the Virgin, the Hours of the Virgin, thePenitential Psalms, and the Office of the Dead.[12] The lettering is inGothic minuscule with silver ink, with gold leaf added to the rubrics.[5][12] The border decorations include landscapes, jaggedacanthusscrolls, birds, small animals and grotesques; the latter are similar in style to those found in the Black Hours of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, and include naked winged devils and hybrid men.[17] They are ornamented exclusively in gold and are shaded mostly by black pigment. They are lined with yellow or goldfiligree and extravagant foliage, including vines.[11] The manuscript has deteriorated over time and has flaked in some areas.[1]
The book wasrebound in the 19th century for its then owner, the French bibliophileNicolas Yemeniz [fr], by the bookbinderGeorges Trautz [fr] (known as Trautz-Bauzonnet),[17] and is today encased in a wooden box, which is also modern.[12] The binding is in tan pigskin with oxidised silverclasps. Yemeniz's monogram of two interlocking "Y"'s is stamped on the central panel of the binding and on the clasps.[12][18]
The miniatures depict scenes from the lives of the Virgin and Christ and are placed to the left (verso) pages of the book, mostly against calendar representations of days from the liturgical year. The illuminations include biblical figures dressed in contemporary latemedieval or Gothic dress. In folio 76v,David wears the ceremonial robes of a 15th-century monarch.[11] The decorations on the borders are particularly vivid in detail.[17]
The Crucifixion (folio 14v) is the book's most acclaimed illustration. It is outlined by border illustrations of fantastical creatures and a peacock. The illumination showsJesus on the cross with his head inclined and bleeding frommultiple wounds.Mary, wearing awimpled veil, andSt John stand to the left of the foot of the cross. Both havehalos. The gesturing mourners to their right are given facial expressions that convey a deep sense of sadness and loss. Behind them are two soldiers wearing helmets, one of whom may beLonginus. The hilly landscape behind the figures depicts the walls of Jerusalem set against a deep blue sky. The marginalia contain hybrid men, including one who is half fish and lifts a sword, and another with animal legs.[8][17]
Art historian Ingo Walther described folio 18v, which depicts theDescent of the Holy Spirit, as evidencing the "unusual, exquisite and precious overall effect ... generated by using the technique of fixing an illumination on a piece of black dyed parchment".[8]Rinceau decorations on the edges outline a depiction of Mary at the centre of the court of the Apostles. The gilded "D" represents the opening letter of the Hours of the Holy Spirit.[8]
The following is a complete list of the manuscript's miniatures:[12][19]
MS 493's early history is obscure, and there are no surviving title or inventory records before the 19th century. Thearms of the family of Isabelle de Bethe is stamped on one of the pages; her family married into Burgundians and were wealthy and prominent members of Flanders society.[12] The manuscript is described in an 1867 inventory of the collection of Nicholas Yemeniz (1806–1869), aLyon silk manufacturer born inConstantinople. It was acquired by the French publisher and art collectorAmbroise Firmin-Didot in 1871. He sold the book to Alphonse Labitte in 1879.[18][20]
MS M.493 was acquired byRobert Hoe in 1909 for $500 (about $16,300 in 2024 terms).[20][21] Hoe held it until 1912; following his death that year it was sold in a large scale and commercially successful sell-off of his collection of rare and antique books.[22][23] It passed between two book dealers,Bernard Quaritch and Léon Gruel, before its eventual acquisition by the Pierpont Morgan Library later that year.[20] The book was exhibited at theParis Colonial Exhibition, the Maritime et d'art Flamand in Antwerp in 1930, at the Morgan's 50th anniversary exhibition in 1957, in Brussels in 1959, and in Bruges in 1981.[12]
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