German Prayer Book of the Margravine of Brandenburg

German Prayer Book of the Margravine of Brandenburg

A handwritten and illuminated prayer book was created in 1520 at the behest of Susanna von Bayern (of Bavaria). With its extravagant richness of design, it belongs among the most beautiful manuscripts ever composed in Germany. The prayer book was presumably commissioned for the wedding of Susanna with Casimir, the Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and contains numerous personal allusions to the bride. 47 large-format, impressive miniatures in splendid colors illustrate the German Prayer Book of the Margravine of Brandenburg. The elaborate bordures and marginal decorations, which are set against a background of high-quality glimmering gold, are especially charming. Numerous colorful large initials with colorful backgrounds further ennoble this private devotional book.

The Niece of the Kaiser

Susanna von Bayern, a niece of Kaiser Maximilian, already came into contact with the works of important German artists at a young age. Her uncle was considered to be a great patron of the arts and some of the most important painters and book illustrators worked at his behest. Among them were Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, and Hans Holbein. Maximilian was also the best man at the wedding of his niece in Augsburg in 1518. Susanna was a pious young woman of firm religious conviction who was nonetheless vivacious. She loved nature, enthusiastically participated in the noble sport of hunting, and celebrated boisterous festivals at court. A few miniatures and marginal decorations in her personal prayer book indicate her favorite pastimes. For example, a full-page miniature is dedicated to the hunting of a deer and the depiction of small, sprightly angelic figures is reminiscent of a dancing community festival.

A Young Master Proves Himself

The recently-turned 18-year-old Augsburg illuminator by the name of Narziß Renner (1502–36) is responsible for the design of the prayer book. The unbelievably talented and limitless creative painter oriented himself on famous examples, e.g. Hans Burgkmaier and Lucas Cranach for the furnishing of his book. Renner appears to be especially influenced by the works of the graphic designer from Regensburg Albrecht Altdorfer. Renner was even able to exceed his ideal through his fresh naturalness and wealth of ideas. He combined various artistic influences with one another, e.g. he presents his bordure decoration in the Flemish, Italian, and German styles of illumination. Décor consisting of colorful flowers, fruits, and small animals alternate with depictions of cornucopias and atlases, as was typical in the Italian Renaissance. Acanthus tendrils with golden pollens in the Gothic style of Augsburg show that he also dealt with German artistic styles that existed long before his birth.

Splendid Color and Gold Adornment in Excess

Nearly every page of the precious manuscript shines with a splendid variety of color. The expressive pictures and pages of text are framed by elaborate golden bordures. The imaginative miniatures of the prayer book show, as previously mentioned, private details of the life of Susanna von Bayern. The work opens up with portraits and escutcheons of Margrave Casimir and his wife. Frolicking angelic figures could be seen as an allegory for the vivaciousness of the young bride and a few depictions show members of her royal household, e.g. a dwarf feeding a trained raven. Numerous local saints from the Franconian region of southern Germany who were venerated by Susanna are pictured. The prayer book was composed in vernacular at her personal request. So the book is not just a breath-taking illustrated magnum opus of German illumination. It also affords a glimpse into the personality of a historical figure, which usually remains concealed from us.