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Hours of Francis I (Use of Rome)
In Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment
France, Paris or Tours, dated 1539-1540
18 large miniatures and 1 historiated initial by the Master of François de Rohan (Paris, active c. 1525-1546) |
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f. 47, Adoration of the Magi |
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Composed late in the reign of Francis I, the present Book of Hours emerges as the only Horae with contemporary illumination made for and with a portrait of the King (Francis’s first Book of Hours, Add. MS 18853, before 1524, is unfinished). Its illuminator, the Master of François de Rohan was highly favored in the royal circle. The captivating informal portrait of Francis I, coupled with the many royal shields, emblems, and motifs, contribute to the significance of this royal manuscript, which, with the exception of a brief deposit in the British Library, has always been in private hands. |
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