Yates Thompson MS 27

Book of Hours, use of Paris, known as the 'Hours of Yolande of Flanders', includes:

ff. 1r-12v: Calendar.

ff. 13v-107r: Hours of the Virgin.

ff. 107v-124v: Seven Penitential Psalms.

ff. 125r-128r: Litany.

13 leaves from this manuscript were given by John Ruskin to the Ruskin School of Fine Art in Oxford, now Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Dep. a. 1 (ff. 31c, 32a, 38a, 47a, 47b, 70a (sic! cited after Cockerell 1905; f. 70a reinserted in Yates Thompson MS 27), 71a, 71b, 100a, 105a, 109b, 112a, 123a); 24 others leaves are now dispersed. The manuscript contains 14 leaves reincorporated since 1905 (ff. 30a, 31a, 31b, 47d, 54a, 70a, 76a, 79a, 82a, 87a, 91a, 97a, 108a, 126a). Another restored leaf (f. 44a) was acquired after the leaves were numbered, but was originally obtained by Yates Thompson (Cockerell 1905 p. 5). 2 further leaves came to light in the sale of M. E. Hilliard, Sotheby's, London, 16 May 1955, lot 77, and were acquired by the National Museum, Stockholm, for £220 (B 1697 = f. 42a, B 1696 = f. 73a; see Nordenfalk 1979, no. 15 pp. 68-69).

Decoration:

24 scenes in the upper and lower margins, at the beginning of each month in the calendar; each upper marginal scene showing St Paul preaching (except f. 1r: Conversion of St Paul), the Virgin in the building of Ecclesia, a Zodiac sign and a landscape depicting the relevant season; each lower marginal scene showing a prophet taking a brick from the building of Synagogue and an apostle, both accompanied by identifying inscriptions (ff. 1r-12r). 9 full-page miniatures in colours and gold, accompanied by large historiated initials in colours and gold, and marginal scenes, at the beginning of the Hours of the Virgin and the Penitential Psalms (ff. 13v, 44av, 58v, 70v, 74v, 80v, 86v, 96v, 107v). Large historiated initials in colours and gold (ff. 14v, 17r, 18r, 20r, 22v, 25r, 26r, 27r, 28r, 30v, 31av, 32v, 35r, 37r, 40r, 41v, 46v, 49v, 51v, 52r, 53r, 53v, 54av, 56v, 57r, 59v, 60v, 62r, 64r, 67r, 68, 68v, 70a, 71r, 73v, 76r, 76a, 77r, 78v, 79v, 79a, 81r, 82r, 82a, 83v, 84v, 85r, 87r, 87av, 88v, 89v, 91r, 91ar, 91av, 93r, 95r (x2), 97r, 97v, 98r, 99r, 100v, 101r, 101v, 102v, 103r, 103v, 105, 105v, 106r, 108av, 116r, 121r, 122v, 125r [with bas-de-page scene, at the beginning of the litany], 136r, 136v); including images of St Peter (f. 14v), the Virgin and Child (ff. 17r, 18r), God the father with the crucified Christ (f. 56v), a woman (Yolande?) in prayer (ff. 13v, 44av, 97r), a woman confessing to a priest (f. 51v), a man fighting with a lion (ff. 40r, 49v, 79v, 87av, 103v), and numerous hybrids, monks and animals. All text pages with full foliate borders in colours and gold, including many grotesque figures. Small decorated initials and line-fillers, in red, blue and gold; many line-fillers including figural decoration in colours. Written alternately in blue and gold.

The subjects of the miniatures are:

f. 13v, The Annunciation; St Helena, St Anna, St John the Evangelist (?) and St Francis in the margins; the Arrest of Christ in the lower margin (Matins).

f. 44av, The Visitation; St Veronica, St Louis, St Denis and another male saint in the margins; Christ before Pilate with the Betrayal of St Peter, in the lower margin (Lauds).

f. 58v, The Nativity; St Margaret and St Catherine in the margins; the Flagellation in the lower margin (Prime).

f. 70v, The Annunciation to the shepherds; St Martin, St Benedict and St Maur (? or St Fiacre); St George and another male saint holding a bird and a book in the margins; Christ on the road to Calvary in the lower margin; initial 'O' with two shepherds (Terce).

f. 74v, The Adoration of the Magi; two saints instructing boys in the margins; the Crucifixion in the lower margin; initial 'D'(eus) of a man nailing the plate to the cross (Sext).

f. 80v, The Presentation in the Temple; St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist in the margins; the Deposition from the Cross in the lower margin (None).

f. 86v, The Flight into Egypt; a bishop saint and St James in the margins; the Entombment of Christ in the lower margin; initial 'D'(eus) of a mourner (Vespers).

f. 96v, The Coronation of the Virgin; St Peter and St Paul, and St Barbara (?) in the margins; the Resurrection of Christ in the lower margin (Compline).

f. 107v, The Last Judgement (miniature and lower margin); St Christopher, a saint with cut off body parts hanging above him, St Gilles, and Archangel Michael in the margins (Seven Penitential Psalms).

The illumination is attributed to Jean le Noir or Bourgot, his daughter. This manuscript is related to several royal books of hours connected with Jean le Noir and his daughter, including the Hours of Jeanne de Navarre, Yolande's mother-in-law (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS n.a. lat. 3145) and the Hours of Bonne of Luxembourg (New York, Cloisters, MS 69.86). The calendar illustrations are based on a model informed by the Belleville Breviary illuminated by Jean Pucelle between c 1323-1326 (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms lat. 10483-84).