Isabella Breviary
Encyclopedia
The Isabella Breviary is an illuminated codex from the late 15th century housed under benchmark Add. Ms. 18851 in the British Library
, London
.
was given this manuscript shortly before 1497 by her ambassador Francisco de Rojas to commemorate not only the double marriage of her children Infante Juan and Infanta Joanna
to Margaret and Philip, the children of Emperor Maximilian of Austria
and Duchess Mary of Burgundy
, but also the successful undertakings of her reign: the discovery of America and the conquest of Granada.
The manuscript is of great historical importance because it reflects not only the artistic reality but also the political unrest of late fifteenth-century Europe, a period when royal marriages meant international political alliances, territorial expansion, etc.
and Gérard David
. These miniaturists painstakingly illustrated particularly the scenes of the building, destruction and reconstruction of Jerusalem and its temple, in addition to the scenes of jubilation with musicians and singers directed by King David. The narrative expression and liveliness of the images by the Master of the Dresden Prayerbook, the manuscript’s main painter, are truly remarkable. Gérard David painted several scenes including the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi.
According to Janet Backhouse
, former head of manuscripts at the British Library
, “the Isabella Breviary is one of the most valuable treasures in the British Library’s enormous manuscript collection, a work the reflects both the artistic and the political history of its period (…) this acquisition is one of the most important purchases of an illuminated manuscript in the history of the British Museum
and its library.”1
In 2010, the Spanish publishing house M. Moleiro Editor
brought out the first and only facsimile edition of the Isabella Breviary2, a luxury edition limited to 987 copies including a companion volume of studies by Scot McKendrick, head of the British Library’s western manuscript department, Nigel Morgan, honorary professor in the history of art at Cambridge University, and Elisa Ruiz, emeritus professor in palaeography at the Universidad Complutense, Madrid
.
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Background
Queen Isabella IIsabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to both kingdoms that became the basis for the unification of Spain. Later the two laid the foundations for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor...
was given this manuscript shortly before 1497 by her ambassador Francisco de Rojas to commemorate not only the double marriage of her children Infante Juan and Infanta Joanna
Joanna of Castile
Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
to Margaret and Philip, the children of Emperor Maximilian of Austria
Maximilian of Austria
Maximilian of Austria may refer to the following members of the Habsburg dynasty:*Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor , who obtained the Burgundian lands by marriage...
and Duchess Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
, but also the successful undertakings of her reign: the discovery of America and the conquest of Granada.
The manuscript is of great historical importance because it reflects not only the artistic reality but also the political unrest of late fifteenth-century Europe, a period when royal marriages meant international political alliances, territorial expansion, etc.
Description
Intended to be the most lavish of all Flemish breviaries, its pages were illuminated by at least six of the finest Flemish painters, including the Master of the Dresden Prayerbook, Gerard HorenboutGerard Horenbout
Gerard Horenbout was a Flemish miniaturist, a late example of the Flemish Primitives. He has been identified with the Master of James IV of Scotland.-Biography:...
and Gérard David
Gerard David
Gerard David was an Early Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator known for his brilliant use of color.-Life:...
. These miniaturists painstakingly illustrated particularly the scenes of the building, destruction and reconstruction of Jerusalem and its temple, in addition to the scenes of jubilation with musicians and singers directed by King David. The narrative expression and liveliness of the images by the Master of the Dresden Prayerbook, the manuscript’s main painter, are truly remarkable. Gérard David painted several scenes including the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi.
According to Janet Backhouse
Janet Backhouse
Janet Backhouse was a leading authority in the field of illuminated manuscripts....
, former head of manuscripts at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, “the Isabella Breviary is one of the most valuable treasures in the British Library’s enormous manuscript collection, a work the reflects both the artistic and the political history of its period (…) this acquisition is one of the most important purchases of an illuminated manuscript in the history of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and its library.”1
In 2010, the Spanish publishing house M. Moleiro Editor
M. Moleiro Editor
M. Moleiro Editor is a publishing house specialised in identical facsimile reproductions of codices, maps and illuminated manuscripts. Founded in Barcelona in 1991, the firm’s dissemination of many masterpieces in the history of illumination and the great accuracy of its reproductions have made it...
brought out the first and only facsimile edition of the Isabella Breviary2, a luxury edition limited to 987 copies including a companion volume of studies by Scot McKendrick, head of the British Library’s western manuscript department, Nigel Morgan, honorary professor in the history of art at Cambridge University, and Elisa Ruiz, emeritus professor in palaeography at the Universidad Complutense, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.