Book of Hours

Simon Bening

ca. 1530–35 · Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; modern red leather binding · The Cloisters

This diminutive Book of Hours is one of Simon Bening’s prayerful jewels, intended for use at regular intervals throughout the twenty-four- hour day (ideally every three hours). It was a reminder of the omnipresence of God, meant to be attached to its owner, or stored with precious possessions. There is a special magic achieved by Bening’s exceptional skill at creating a miniature world. The miniatures follow standard convention, but Bening consistently tweaks the presentation, making this manuscript exceptionally poignant and affecting.

Artist

Simon Bening

Date

ca. 1530–35

Medium

Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; modern red leather binding

Culture

Netherlandish

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 2015