Cleveland Museum of Art

Leaf from a Book of Hours: Initial D: Flight into Egypt (2 of 2 Excised Leaves)

Date

early 1300s

Medium

ink, tempera, and gold on vellum

Culture

Northern France or Flanders, early 14th Century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

These initials introduce the text Deus in adiutorium meum intende (God come to my assistance). The borders include playful animals or humans engaged in assorted activities: a dog catching a hare; a lion; a peacock; and a woman winding yarn. The illuminators of books of hours, like the artists of psalters before them, continued to explore the possibilities suggested by open space on the page in order to showcase their ingenuity and delight the reader. All books of hours contain the same basic sections and were highly customizable.

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