About the Collins Hours Nativity

Book of Hours for Roman Use
(Collins Hours)
Nativity
By the Master of the Collins Hours, active 1430s-40s
Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Philip S. Collins Collection, 1945-65-4, fols. 73v-74

This page is from a Book of Hours, the main prayer book used in medieval Europe. Books of Hours were divided into eight sections, or hours that were meant to be read at specific times of day.

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, every member of the middle and upper classes would have wanted to own an illuminated Book of Hours. These treasured books were given as gifts on special occasions, such as weddings, and they often appeared in medieval wills, testifying to their value and importance. A Book of Hours was often the first and only book an individual owned in his or her lifetime.

This small manuscript is written in Latin using gothic bookhand script. It was painted by an artist named after this manuscript: the Master of the Collins Hours. The pages are from the Hours of the Virgin, which traditionally is illustrated with a Nativity scene. In this Nativity, the stable frames the main figures who are all in reverence of the baby Jesus. All of the figures in the margins are also paying respect as if they, too, were present at the event.

The artist painted Mary in a traditional blue robe and illuminated a gold halo around her head and the rays shining form the sky. Yet he took artistic liberties in this scene by placing the figures in an architectural setting that was familiar to him during his lifetime. He chose to pay close attention to details such as the handmaiden's candle, the saddle serving as Christ's pillow and the costumes of the figures in the miniatures and in the margins.

Vellum, 188 fols.
Folio: 7-7/8 x 5-1/2 inches (200 x 140 mm)
Text 4-3/8 x 2-3/4 inches (111 x 71 mm)
Latin, Gothic Bookhand

Leaves of Gold catalog entry #19
Featured in Leaves of Gold CD-ROM

Next
Manuscript

Go to slide show thumbnails page