Trivulzio book of hours

The Trivulzio Book of Hours is a medieval manuscript, created around 1470. It contains prayers, psalms and other texts that Catholics recite at fixed times. We do not know for whom it was made. We do know that it came into the possession of the Trivulzio family from Milan. They kept it for centuries. That is why we call it the Trivulzio Book of Hours.  

Appearance and contents of the Trivulzio book of hours

The manuscript is 9 centimetres wide and 13 centimetres high. That's not particularly big. However, it does contain 28 (miniature) illustrations that fill entire pages. It also contains 16 so-called historiated initials. Those are first letters in the style of an earlier period. Other initials are also beautifully decorated, as are the margins. The miniatures relate to the contents of the texts. For the margins, the painters let their imagination run wild. There, you will see plants, flowers, birds, musicians, monkeys and fantasy creatures. It's expensive to have such a thing made by hand. In medieval times, a beautifully decorated book of hours was a sign of wealth.

The person who had the book of hours made hired the best artists of the time. Lieven van Lathem from Gent made 38 miniatures. Simon Marmion from Valenciennes made 9. A third painter is known as the 'Viennese master of Mary of Burgundy'. This artist was the Rembrandt of miniature painters of the day.

How did the Trivulzio book of hours end up in the KB?

In 1935, the Trivulzio family's collection came into the possession of the city of Milan. The book of hours was not included. No one knew where it was. Had it been lost? Sold?

In 2001, someone contacted the KB. This person had the book of hours and wished to donate it to the KB. Their identity was to remain unknown. Negotiations took place in deepest secrecy. Not many people were involved, but they were highly enthusiastic.

Eventually it became known that the KB had acquired this manuscript. This was such big news that it made frontpage headlines. No cultural institution in the Netherlands had ever received such an expensive donation before. The donor had chosen the KB because we have a large collection of medieval manuscripts. We also stress the importance of allowing research of the books and want to make it possible for everyone to view them. Finally: the curator in charge of manuscripts in the KB was very enthusiastic.

The Trivulzio book of hours contains gorgeous miniatures. This illustration about Pentecost fills an entire page. In the drawing, you see Jesus' disciples. Jesus has passed away. His bereft disciples are convened after his death. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit appears in the shape of a dove. He gives the disciples the courage to carry on.

The illustration is small: 8,5 by 5 centimetres. But it contains an entire painting. In the background, you see a gothic church from late medieval times. The clothes of the people in the foreground appear to move. The dove is surrounded by a golden halo. This must have been painted with only 1 or 2 hairs of the brush. The bird in the top left is a Eurasian hoopoe. On the bottom right, a harpy is visible. A harpy is a monster with the head of a woman, the claws of a lion and the wings of a bird of prey. This harpy is playing a harp. On the left, you see a man's head peeking out from under the skirts of a woman playing the violin.