Book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden

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The book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden is a luxuriously decorated handwritten prayer book in Latin that the pious sovereign had probably made in Paris around 1490 for his personal use.

Book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden, donor picture

History and provenance

The small-format Latin book of hours comprises 112 sheets (14.6 × 10.3 cm) and is written on parchment in a regular humanistic bastarda. The high-quality book decoration consists of 17 large and 24 smaller pictures inserted into the text, which are framed by colorfully painted borders. The large-format miniatures mainly show scenes from the New Testament, the smaller miniatures evangelists and figures of saints. Rich initial jewelry and a variety of line fillers are further features. Nine sheets were probably replaced in 1515, after Christopher renounced the margrave dignity to which his sons had forced him; three sheets were added later.

According to Eberhard König, art-historical criteria point to Paris as the place of origin of the manuscript. He attributes the high-quality miniatures to the early work of the master who later created the “Triomphes” by Pétrarque as the main representative of the Rouen School. From the donor's picture (f. 18v) it can be seen that the book of hours was made for the Baden margrave Christoph I (1453–1527). This is also supported by the motto TSOE (probably for Trüw, Stet On End ) repeated on several miniatures and the monogram on the prayer desk before which Christoph kneels. The coat of arms with a crest in the lower part of the picture refers to the margraves of Baden, as does the mention of the Blessed Bernhard von Baden above a small picture in the back of the manuscript (p. 96r). On a sheet inserted much later (f. 10v) the aged margrave can be seen together with his namesake and St. Odilia . Apparently he valued his prayer book so much that when he was old he had this picture done by a German illustrator.

Due to his vassal services for the Habsburgs, to whom he felt related through his mother, Christoph was accepted into the Order of the Knights of the Golden Fleece in 1491 . Because he is already wearing this medal over his armor on the donor's picture, there is much to suggest that the manuscript was created this year, unless one assumes that the illustrator was already aware of the upcoming medal award.

literature

  • Book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden. Codex Durlach I of the Badische Landesbibliothek [facsimile] / ed. by Elmar Mittler… - Karlsruhe: Müller, 1978. - Vol. 1: Facsimile, 108 Bl.: Ill. - Vol. 2: Commentary / by Eberhard König with the assistance of Gerhard Stamm, XII, 295 S.: Ill.
  • Eberhard König: The book of hours of the margrave Christoph I of Baden . - In: Philobiblon 22 (1978), pp. 167-183.
  • Friedrich Wielandt: Portrait studies for the book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden . - In: Zeitschrift für die Geschichte des Oberrheins 124 (1980), pp. 463-475.
  • Gerhard Stamm: Book of Hours of the Margrave Christoph I of Baden . - In: Medieval devotional books: psalteries, books of hours, prayer books; Evidence of European piety; an exhibition by the Baden and Württemberg state libraries for the 91st German Catholic Day in Karlsruhe 1992; Exhibition catalog / ed. by Hans-Peter Geh… edited by Felix Heinzer… - Karlsruhe: Badische Landesbibliothek; Stuttgart: Württembergische Landesbibliothek, 1992. - pp. 112–115, no. 27.
  • Julia Hiller von Gaertringen: From the margrave as a pious knight . - In: Das Nibelungenlied: special exhibition; Karlsruhe manuscript now UNESCO World Document Heritage; Catalog of the Badische Landesbibliothek for the special exhibition… 28. – 31. January 2010. - Karlsruhe: Badische Landesbibliothek, 2010. - P. 42–43.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eberhard König: The book of hours of Margrave Christoph I of Baden . In: Philobiblon . tape 22 , 1978, p. 179 and 182 .