Illuminated around 1500 by the artist
Jean Poyer, The Hours of Henry VIII
receives its name from the possible but
unproven eighteenth-century tradition
that holds King Henry of England once
owned this splendid manuscript. By
following the simple instructions, you
can explore every painting of this
Renaissance masterpiece and learn
how Books of Hours helped their readers
to pray.
Books of Hours contain more or less
standard texts—Calendar, Gospel
Lessons, Hours of the Virgin, Hours
of the Cross, Hours of the Holy Spirit,
Penitential Psalms with Litany, Office
of the Dead, and Suffrages—as well as
a number of common accessory
prayers. Based on the frequency and
variety of added devotions, it appears
that scribes included these for owners
who wished to personalize their prayer
books.
April: Picking Flowers and
Making Wreaths (fol. 2v)
With April, the landscape becomes
green and alive, and the month's
activity is not laborious, but one
for the leisure class. A foppishly
dressed youth, his hands filled
with freshly picked spring flowers,
waits while his lady friend weaves
the blossoms into a garland.
At the top of the right border is
a depiction of St. George slaying
the dragon (April 23). To the right
of the zodiacal sign Taurus, the
Bull, are Peter the Martyr,
stabbed in the chest with a
dagger, his attribute (April 29),
and St. Eutropius, depicted with
the ax with which he was struck
in the head and killed (April 30).
