Remaining for nearly three centuries in the family for whom the Book of Hours was produced around 1490-1500 and intimately preserved in an important Swiss private collection for nearly a hundred years, the present Book of Hours is a true discovery. This manuscript constitutes a major contribution to the history of Dijon illumination at the end of the 15th century and to the history of the Saumaize family, an important family established in Burgundy, in Dijon, since the 13th century. The Saumaize Hours were painted by three illuminators, all active in that city at the end of the 15th century. The Master of the Saumaize Hours, the Master of the Fyot Hours, and the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates.

Named after the present Book of Hours, the Master of the Saumaize Hours is an illuminator active between Champagne and Burgundy between 1470 and 1500. Little is known about this artist, whose unusual and intriguing style is marked by a strong expressivity, with a nervous brushstroke that models the folds of the draperies, a rapidity of gesture, visible for example in these lively hatching marks, and long and thin figures with faces showing uncanny morphological details. In the years 1470–1480, the Master of the Saumaize Hours seems to have been active in Champagne, where his style is slightly more influenced by the formulas of the Master of the Troyes Missal, with whom he collaborated on two manuscripts, one in Langres (Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 360) and the other sold on the market (London, Sotheby’s, November 29, 1990, lot 139). By the years 1480–1490, the illuminator’s style moves closer to that of the Master of the Travaillot Missal, from whom he likely adopted this ghostly aesthetic and with whom he collaborated on a Book of Hours now at the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal (ms. 426). Finally, around 1490–1500, when the illuminator seems to have permanently settled in Burgundy, he already collaborated with the Master of the Fyot Hours (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, ms. 1187), an illuminator also found in the present Hours. The Master of the Saumaize Hours was familiar with the formulas of the Master(s) of the Burgundian Prelates, as evidenced by his taste for a fine and rapid application of paint that prioritizes expressiveness over modeling. Furthermore, the Master of the Saumaize Hours is somewhat evocative of the expressiveness and strange morphological details of the Master of Michel Jouvenel des Urins in the eponymous manuscript (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ms. lat. 3113).

The Master of the Fyot Hours, named so by Carmen Decu Teodorescu and Frédéric Elsig is an illuminator who is part of the stylistic tradition of the Master(s) of the Burgundian Prelates, to whom the Fyot Hours had initially been attributed. The Master of the Fyot Hours is responsible, alone or in collaboration, of seven manuscripts and one miniature. Among his most notable works, we can mention, at the dawn of the 16th century, the Hours of Louise of Savoy (London, British Library, Sloane 2419), or the Book of Hours for the use of Langres, made for a still-unidentified owner, in which the Master of the Saumaize Hours painted one miniature (Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, ms. 1187). Stylistically, the Master of the Fyot Hours is dependent on the formulas of the Master(s) of the Burgundian Prelates, and particularly the formulas of the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates, whom he knows intimately and who undoubtedly trained him.

The last artist to have intervened in the Saumaize Hours is an important illuminator directly connected to the famous Master(s) of the Burgundian Prelates, whose study was initiated by Nicole Reynaud in 1975. The art historian grouped several manuscripts around a personality active in Dijon at the end of the 15th century, including commissions from Burgundian prelates, thus naming so the anonymous master. The specialist hypothesized that this artist might be the famous Pierre Changenet, who came from a family of artists active between Burgundy (in Dijon) and Provence (Avignon and Marseille). Following Nicole Reynaud’s article, several studies focused on Dijon illumination and the Master of the Burgundian Prelates, so much so that numerous manuscripts could be linked to this artist, showing stylistic variations. Following recent studies, one now speaks of the Master(s) of the Burgundian Prelates: the first Master of the Burgundian Prelates (Jean I Changenet?), the second Master of the Burgundian Prelates (Pierre Changenet), and the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates, who “entretient un lien avec Jean II Changenet sans qu’il puisse être identifié clairement à lui”. It is this third Master of the Burgundian Prelates who painted the Saint John on Patmos in the Saumaize Hours. This illuminator is, among other manuscripts, responsible for the magnificent Missal of Richard Chambellan, which contains the famous Crucifixion linked as early as 1975 to the celebrated Crucifixion of the Parliament of Burgundy (Paris, Musée du Louvre), perhaps painted by Henri Changenet.

The Changenet family is an important family of artists active between 1470 and the beginning of the 16th century, spread across three workshops between Burgundy and Provence. Jean I Changenet was at the head of the Dijon workshop, rue de la Verrerie, which was taken over by Pierre Changenet and then by Henri Changenet. Jean II Changenet founded a second workshop around 1480 in Avignon, rue de la Miraillerie. We also know that Juan de Nalda came to work in Jean II Changenet’s workshop in 1493. The third workshop, established in Marseille, was directed by Josse Lieferinxe, the son-in-law of Jean II Changenet. Jean II Changenet is identified, on a documentary basis, with the painter of the Gretz-Armainvilliers triptych (an altarpiece commissioned by Nicolas Bouesseau, president of the Chamber of Accounts in Dijon, to Jean II Changenet in 1490, and which was completed by Giovanni Grassi). This discovery, combined with Carmen Decu Teodorescu’s finding that the Crucifixion in the Louvre could not have been painted by Josse Lieferinxe, as had always been thought since Charles Sterling’s proposal, led to a revisiting of an entire corpus of Dijon paintings. Subsequently, Carmen Decu Teodorescu and Frédéric Elsig propose distinguishing the Master of the Life of the Virgin (Jean II Changenet?), the Master of Saint Sebastian, a painter from the Dijon workshop of the Changenet, and the Master of the Crucifixion of the Parliament of Burgundy (Henri Changenet?). Elliot Adam and Sophie Caron prefer to maintain the established corpus of Josse Lieferinxe and follow the attribution proposals formulated by Charles Sterling and Michel Laclotte for Jean II Changenet, who, in their opinion, is the author notably of the fragment of the Three Prophets in the Musée du Louvre, which, for Carmen Decu Teodorescu and Frédéric Elsig, was painted by the one they call the Master of the Three Prophets (perhaps Josse Lieferinxe?).

The three artists who painted the Saumaize Hours were all active in Dijon at the end of the 15th century, but two were of Burgundian origin and active in Dijon (the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates and the Master of the Fyot Hours), while the principal illuminator was certainly of Champagne origin and then active in Dijon (the Master of the Saumaize Hours). The third Master of the Burgundian Prelates is undoubtedly the best of the three illuminators; the Master of the Fyot Hours was evidently trained by him, while the Master of the Saumaize Hours was an associate of the Master of the Fyot Hours, with whom he collaborated at least twice, as well as an associate of the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates. The three illuminators were therefore certainly active within an interesting network of communicating workshops. The Saumaize Hours thus perfectly illustrate the illuminated manuscripts production of Dijon around 1500 and bring together several artists in a single work. The present manuscript demonstrates not only the relationships and exchanges between the illuminators active in Dijon around 1500 but also the network of patrons of these workshops.

Jehan de Saumaize (✝ 1526), first owner and undoubtedly commissioner of the present Book of Hours, was the son of Jérôme de Saumaize (✝ 1480), lord of Chassans and Chambœuf. Jehan de Saumaize inherited his father’s titles and, in 1484, became captain of Vergy and King Charles VIII’s commissioner general for the fortifications of the towns and castles of Burgundy. In 1501, he was made receveur des décimes (tax collector) for the bailiwick of Dijon, and in 1514, he was appointed master in the Chamber of Accounts (Maître en la Chambre des Comptes). Jehan de Saumaize had two brothers who died in war. In 1492, he married Michelle De Scrottefert (✝ 1525), and then remarried in 1526 Michelle Contault. The livre de raison of the present Book of Hours gives us a unique access to the intimate history of the family who owned the Book of Hours, from the late 15th century to the 18th century (see Provenance).

We thank Professor Frédéric Elsig for his expertise and for confirming the attributions after having examined the present Book of Hours in person.

Text
1-6v: Calendar
7-7v: Blank
8-11v: Gospel Sequences
11v-14: Obsecro te
14v-15v: Blank
16-46: Hours of the Virgin, for the use of Rome
46v-47v: Blank
48-50: Hours of the Cross
50v-52v: Hours of the Holy Spirit
53-53v: Blank
54-93: Penitential psalms (with litanies, fol. 61v-64v)
93v: Prayer to Saint Edmond
94: Blank
94v-100: Suffrages
100v: Blank
101-104v: Livre de raison (folio 103-103v is blank), written by Jehan de ­Saumaize, François [I] de Saumaize, Étiennette de Saumaize and ­François [III] de Saumaize.
105-105v: Blank

Miniatures
fol. 8: Saint John on Patmos [large miniature by the third Master of the Burgundian Prelates]
fol. 9v: Saint Luke [large miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 11v: Virgin and Child [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 16: Annunciation [large miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 23v: Visitation [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 31v: Nativity [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 34: Annunciation to the Shepherds [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 36v: Adoration of the Magi [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 38v: Presentation in the Temple [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 41: Flight into Egypt [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 44v: Coronation of the Virgin [small miniature by the Master of the ­Saumaize Hours]
fol. 48: Crucifixion [large miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 50v: Pentecost [large miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 54: King David [large miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 94v: Saint John the Baptist [small miniature by the Master of the ­Saumaize Hours]
fol. 95: Saint John the Evangelist [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 95v: Saint Lawrence [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 96: Saint Francis [small miniature by the Master of the Fyot Hours]
fol. 97v: Saint Anthony [small miniature by the Master of the Fyot Hours]
fol. 98: Saint Bernardino [small miniature by the Master of the Fyot Hours]
fol. 98v: Saint Andrew [small miniature by the Master of the Fyot Hours]
fol. 99: Saint Anne and the Virgin [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 99v: Saint Mary Magdalene [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]
fol. 100: Saint Catherine [small miniature by the Master of the Saumaize Hours]