Displaying astounding plays of naturalistic illusionism, the luxurious book known as the Spinola Hours is one of the most visually sophisticated 16th-century Flemish manuscripts. A book of hours contains a calendar of Church holidays, the Hours of the Virgin, the Office for the Dead, and other prayers, hymns and readings. The Spinola Hours also includes weekday offices and masses, providing even more possibilities for rich illuminations. The book was commissioned for a wealthy patron, perhaps Margaret of Austria, and in the 1700s it belonged to the Spinola family, for whom it is now named. We are honoured to reproduce this unparalleled example of illumination from the J. Paul Getty Museum.
