The hours of Catherine of Cleves

The Hours of Catherine of Cleves is arguably the most beautiful and interesting manuscript ever to be produced in the Northern Netherlands. It was illuminated with spectacular miniatures and borders in glistening gold and sumptuous colors around 1440 for Catherine of Cleves, Duchess of Guelders, by an exceptionally gifted but anonymous artist, named after this, his masterpiece.
This beautifully illustrated volume is the accompanying scholarly catalogue to a unique exhibition, entitled Catherine's World. Devotion, Demons and Daily Life in the 15th century, to be shown at Museum Het Valkhof, Nijmegen (NL) in the fall of 2009. The exhibition is dedicated to this extraordinary book of hours, its patron and the illuminator who created it, and shows not only over a 100 leaves with miniatures and borders from this spectacular manuscript, but also presents a cross-section of the oeuvre of the artist, his sources of inspiration and work by contemporary artists.
All objects on display, stemming from collections all over the world, are discussed and illustrated in this catalogue. These catalogue entries are preceded by a number of essays by renowned specialists. Thanks to their contributions, the catalogue provides an extensive and in-depth discussion of the manuscript, the artist and the patron and presents new findings, making it the most up to date study on this monumental manuscript.