The Small Book of Hours of Philip II, today housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid, is a masterful example of late miniature artistry from the second quarter of the sixteenth century, originating from one of France's most productive workshops, the so-called 1520s Hours workshop. There's no emblem indicating ownership, but early additions in Spanish and ecclesiastical censorship suggest it was in Spain shortly after its creation, where it may have been brought by Isabel de Valois, the third wife of Philip II.
Despite its very small size, the manuscript has been highly influential in Spanish miniature art. Its twelve full-page miniatures framed by ornate architectural motifs, and its eleven elegantly decorated borders are exemplary of the Italian Renaissance's impact on French art, incorporating avant-garde elements of the time with early Mannerist decorations.
We have 1 facsimile edition of the manuscript "Small Book of Hours of Philip II": Diminuto devocionario facsimile edition, published by Ediciones Grial, 1995
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