1400
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Page from a Book of Hours is a 1400 by French 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This page looks like an old book with tight columns of tiny writing. The letters are black and red, packed in neat rows. Some big letters at the start of lines have fancy gold and blue designs—like crowns or flowers—with swirls and dots around them. The writing is in Latin, and the page has a ruled grid to keep everything lined up. The colors are muted, but the gold and blue stand out against the faded brown background. Next, look up Renaissance to see how this kind of book fits into that time.
This artist hid their best work inside old travel trunks. They glued vivid woodcuts into the lids of wooden boxes meant to be carried on horseback, like secret postcards from God. If you’ve ever pried open a cracked lid…
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
