The Hastings Hours

by Janet Backhouse, British Library

Intimate in scale and richly decorated with miniatures of scenes from the life of Christ and of the saints -- set off by delicate flower paintings and occasional lighthearted glimpses of contemporary courtly life -- The Hastings Hours remains one of the outstanding achievements of Renaissance Flemish illumination. Named after its patron, William Lord Hastings, it is one of the finest devotional books of the period to have survived. This beautifully illustrated volume includes all of the manuscript's major miniatures and many of its decorative borders, reproduced close to their actual size.

Genres: Art

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Janet Backhouse, a respected authority in her field, was a former curator of illuminated manuscripts for The British Library.

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Hastings was a loyal Yorkist who served King Edward IV during the Wars of the Roses. When the King died, Hastings got caught between the machinations of the widowed Queen and the incoming Protector, the future Richard III. Hastings ended up losing his head.

However, he will be forever mentioned because he was the first patron of one of the most beautifully illuminated Book of Hours, now known as the Hastings Hours. This was one of the last of the great Flemish hand renderings, before the printing press signaled the eventual end of these artistic masterpieces.

This book is a small (can be held in one's palm) but highly effective overview of the Hours. It has artwork on every other page, with the lives of the saints in full view (St. Erasmus always makes me a bit queasy). The commentary by Janet Backhouse is a perfect accompaniment and is another example of the type of classy publications by the Pomegranate Books publishing group.

Book Season = Year Round (British Library)