Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index



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  • Title: Holy Family at Work: Opening Image for Saturday Hours of the Virgin, Sext
  • Creator: Master of Catherine of Cleves, illuminator
  • Description: The Virgin sits at a loom as the Christ Child moves about the room in a walker. To the right Joseph works on wood, and a saw and a hammer are visible among his tools. The scene evokes comfort and domesticity with the patterned carpet and orderly shelf of dishes. In this domestic scene Joseph planes a long plank of wood that resembles a beam of the Cross. The image reminds the viewer of Christ’s death in this happy scene from his childhood to encourage pious sympathy. In the floral border surrounding the scene, there are five-leaved medlar flowers which were the symbol of the house of Guelders. This manuscript was cut apart before 1856. The leaves were disordered and rebound into two volumes.
  • Source: Wikimedia Commons
  • Rights: Public Domain
  • Subject (See Also): Books of Hours Catherine of Cleves, Duchess, Consort of Arnold van Egmond, Duke of Gelderland Children Domestic Space Holy Family Housework Infants Jesus Christ- Infancy Joseph, Saint Mary, Virgin, Saint Weaving Work
  • Geographic Area: Low Countries
  • Century: 15
  • Date: circa 1440
  • Related Work: Hours of Catherine of Cleves; additional folios available from The Morgan Online Exhibition: http://www.themorgan.org/collections/works/cleves/thumbs.asp
  • Current Location: New York, The Morgan Library and Museum, MS M.917, p. 149
  • Original Location:
  • Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Manuscript Illuminations
  • Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Vellum (parchment); Paint; Gold
  • Donor: Laywoman; Catherine of Cleves, Duchess, Consort of Arnold van Egmond, Duke of Gelderland
  • Height/Width/Length(cm): 19.2 cm/13 cm/
  • Inscription: Ego sum solacium tuum [I am your consolation] on the banderole indicating words spoken by the Christ Child to Mary
  • Related Resources: