Book of Hours of Leonor de la Vega

Book of Hours of Leonor de la Vega

The most beautiful handmade and illuminated books of the 15th century undoubtedly came from the Belgian city of Bruges. The most talented artists of the Netherlands joined together to form the painters’ guild of Bruges. Their masterful works were coveted across the entire world. The Book of Hours of Leonor de la Vega is one of the most precious examples of Bruges illumination. It was designed by the painter Willem Vrelant and contained a few illustrations, which clearly demonstrate influences from the painter Jan van Eyck. Jan van Eyck is counted among the so-called old masters, arguably the most important artists in art history. The original of the precious book of hours is found today in the Spanish National Library.

An International Book Treasure

Willem Vrelant was the author of the handmade book of hours. Vrelant (1410–81) lived in Bruges and was active in Flanders as an artist his entire life. He was one of the most gifted of Jan van Eyck’s students. He designed his magnificent book of hours between 1465 and 1470. In the year 1498, the masterpiece was sent as a gift by the Spanish ambassador in Flanders, Diego Ramirez de Villaescusa, to the father of the famous poet Garcilaso de la Vega in Rome. The family of the poet lived in Rome for a long time. Leonora, Garcilaso’s sister, inherited the document after the death of her father, and it is for that reason that it bears her name today.

Unbelievable Variety of Depiction

The book of hours contains 404 parchment pages altogether and is bound in goatskin. The work opens with an unillustrated calendar. The unadorned calendar stands in stark contrast with the rest of the elaborately illustrated codex. 78 full-page miniatures in luminous colors and with rich gold adornment beam before the beholder. Unbelievably fantastical and diverse bordure embellishment is found on practically every page. The pictures visualize important scenes from the events of the prayer book’s text. The bordures display flowers, buds, and a large variety of growth, small animals, and monsters. In addition to this diverse variety of depiction, elaborately embellished initials give structure to the work’s text.