Hours of Ippolita Sforza Facsimile Edition

Now preserved in the Biblioteca de la Abadía of Montserrat (MS 66), this precious book of hours was decorated by Jean Bourdichon between 1495 and 1504. Bourdichon, a royal artist active in Tours and Paris, illuminated this devotional book for his patron, Ippolita d'Aragona, as evidenced by the heraldry depicted on folio 56. His elegant style is also showcased in complex works such as the Great Hours of Anne of Brittany and the Book of Hours of Charles VIII. The illuminations feature repeated small brush strokes and meticulously reproduce the physical appearance of various materials, even capturing the transparency of some textiles. Some illustrations present figures in dramatic close-up positions, anticipating certain filmmaking techniques.