Jean Poyer
St. Gabriel the Archangel
ca. 1492–95
Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne
Illuminated by Jean Poyer
126 x 80 mm
MS M.50 (fol. 27v)
The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1905
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St. Gabriel the Archangel (fol. 27v, left)
Poyer depicts St. Gabriel in a robe and gold sash holding a scepter topped with a fleur-de- lis, signifying the archangel as a special protector of the French.
The Suffrage to Gabriel emphasizes the archangel's role in mankind's salvation at the moment of the Incarnation and alludes to his role as weigher of souls at the Last Judgment.