Book of Hours for the Use of Rome

This work, written in Latin and adorned with engravings by Jean d’Ypres, enjoyed great success in the Middle Ages. The illustrations in this Book of Hours depict biblical scenes and figures, as well as pastoral scenes.

Printed in Paris by Philippe Pigouchet for the bookseller Simon Vostre on August 22, 1498, the book was acquired by the museum in 2020. Written in Gothic script and embellished with 22 copperplate engravings, it opens with Philippe Pigouchet’s printer’s mark, which features a shield with the initials "PP" hanging from a tree between a wild man and woman. Since 1496, the printer-bookseller had introduced prints that became highly popular and were reused in his subsequent editions.

The full-page engravings are framed by margins adorned with vignettes depicting biblical scenes and figures, set within Flamboyant Gothic-style borders. They also feature pastoral scenes, fabulous animals, and foliage motifs.

The entire illustration was entrusted to the Master of the Petites Heures of Anne of Brittany, who can be identified as Jean d’Ypres (active c. 1490 – died before 1508), a member of a family of painters from northern France who settled in Paris.

Through his exquisite engravings, the artist—known for providing the designs for The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry—contributed to the success of this work.

The Book of Hours for the Use of Rome, printed by Philippe Pigouchet for the bookseller Simon Vostre, represents one of the "best-sellers" of the presses in the capital at the end of the Middle Ages.