Prayer Book for Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg

Prayer Book for Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg

A pompous prayer book for Albrecht von Brandenburg (1490–1545), one of the most powerful prince-electors of the Reformation, was made between 1536 and 1537 in Nuremberg and Halle. The 200-page parchment manuscript originated from a collaboration between the illuminator Gabriel Glockendon (ca. 1515-after 1585) and the scribe Georg Stierlein and captivates with 42 full-page miniatures, wonderful marginal décor, and 73 ornamental initials. A total of five depictions accompanying the Passion invite the beholder to meditate on the suffering of Christ, which is presented in expressive scenes.

Artists of Distinction

Only a few documents today give us any information about the life of Gabriel Glockendon, the son of the famous Nuremberg illuminator Nikolaus Glockendon (ca. 1490/5–1533/4). It is believed that he took over the workshop after his father’s passing. As a passionate collector and patron of the arts, Albrecht von Brandenburg employed Georg Stierlein in Halle and thus had his own scribe.

Unique Décor Meets Refined Layout

The salvation history from the Annunciation to the Entombment of Christ are found in miniatures brimming with ideas. Glockendon’s tendency towards the Mannerist style, which finds expression in numerous details, is clearly recognizable. Thus, not only are the figures’ articles of clothing furnished with elaborate lace and frills, but the architecture is also astonishingly devised. Atmospheric landscapes with leafless trees, fantastic fortresses, and imposing mountains serve as a setting. As though these primary scenes were not diverse enough, the painter supplements them through additional, no less extensive typological scenes in the background. This creative layout with an additional depiction on the border makes the prayer book a unique masterpiece of illumination.

Inspiration from the Past

Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg must have really admired this text, because he commissioned it more than once. Actually, there are two older manuscripts, whose text- and miniature-program are identical with that by Glockendon and Schierlein. They are a manuscript by Simon Bening (ca. 1483–1561) that originated ca. 1525/50 and another by Nikolaus Glockendon from 1533/34. Serving as the foundation for these three works is a German prayer book that was printed in Augsburg in 1521, which contained a translation of the Orationes et meditationes de vita Christi by Thomas von Kempen (ca. 1380–1471).