Il Libro d'Ore Visconti by FACSIMILE - 2003

Modena: Franco Cosimo Panini, 2003. 2 volumes de fac-similés (302 ; 334 pp). Tirage strictement limité à 500 exx., n° 072. L'original se trouve dans la Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, sous les références Banco Rari 397 et Landau Finaly 22. Bound in red velvet over wood, with clasps and bands in silver. Described as a Offiziolo Visconti (or the Libro d’Ore Visconti) this Book of Hours is in 2 opulent tomes with miniatures painted at different times by two very different artists. The first, Giovannino de’ Grassi, worked with assistants on the first pages for Gian Galeazzo Visconti. This work was interrupted by the death of the duke in 1402. When Gian Galeazzo’s son, Filippo Maria, became duke in 1412 the decoration of the MS was continued by Belbello da Pavia. In the closing years of the 14th century under Gian Galeazzo, Pavia and Milan became two of the leading European centers for the production of illuminated manuscripts. At that time the Lombard school produced a series of splendid illustrated books devoted to plants, animals, medicine and the seasons. While the scribe who wrote the text of the prayer book signed his name, Frate Amadeo, the miniaturists according to the custom of the time, remained anonymous and only external evidence points to the hand Giovannino de’ Grassi as the author of the illustrations in the first part of the book. The other great miniaturist Belbello da Pavia was responsible for the remaining miniatures. Many of these belong to the early stage of Belbello’s artistic development, which evolved from a compact style, rich in detail and elaboration into the less cluttered more boldly colored style evident in the Mantuan Missal. On y joint le commentaire : Milvia BOLLATI. Il Libro d'ore Visconti. Commentario al codice a cura di Milvia Bollati. Schede descrittive a cura di Adriana Di Domenico. 2 vol. (31 cm). 400 + 195 pp. Illustrations in colour. Publisher's cloth, dust jackets, slipcase illuminated man.|Facsimile