Hours of Leonor de la Vega

This manuscript exemplifies the pinnacle of 15th century handmade and illuminated books, hailing from Bruges, Belgium, a hub of artistic brilliance. Among the guild of painters in Bruges, known for their unparalleled talent, Willem Vrelant created the Book of Hours of Leonor de la Vega. Infused with influences from the legendary Jan van Eyck, a master of old, this precious work now resides in the Spanish National Library.

Willem Vrelant, a dutch luminary, meticulously fashioned this book of hours between 1465 and 1470. A resident of Bruges throughout his life, Vrelant was one of Jan van Eyck’s exceptional students. This masterpiece traveled across borders in 1498 when the Spanish ambassador, Diego Ramirez de Villaescusa, presented it as a gift to Garcilaso de la Vega’s father, a renowned poet residing in Rome. Upon her father’s passing, Leonor, Garcilaso’s sister, inherited this treasured document, earning it the name it bears today.

Comprising four hundred four parchment pages bound in goatskin, the book unfolds with an unembellished calendar, setting a sharp contrast to the opulence that follows. Fifty-seven miniatures plus and twenty-one big capital letters., resplendent in luminous colors and lavish gold detailing, grace the manuscript. The pages abound with an incredible array of fanciful and diverse border embellishments, featuring flowers, foliage, small creatures, and mythical beasts. Elaborately adorned initials punctuate and enliven the text throughout this wondrously illustrated prayer book.

The facsimile edition of the Hours of Leonor de la Vega is complemented by a bookcase for its conservation and a complementary study book made by subject matter experts.

This facsimile is a unique edition of 500 books numbered and authenticated by notarial deed.