Click here to read the e-catalogue

We think of Books of Hours as medieval “best-sellers” or medieval “must haves.” Indeed, they are quintessential deluxe manuscripts in which pictures with prayers structured devotion for pious lay folk. However, this exhibition invites us to take a fresh look at Books of Hours as sites of invention. We will look where we do not usually look. We explore silences and empty spaces. We become part of the audience in a theatre of gazes. We play in the margins where games and commentary unfold. We follow the passage of time with them, and we observe the traces left by hands that treasured these books.

Scroll down to explore the four parts of the exhibition, brought to life through videos, podcasts, exhibitions, and more.

Part I – THE GAZE: SILENCE, SPEECH, AND PRAYER
Part II – LOOKING BEYOND THE IMAGE: MARGINALIA, DECORATED INITIALS, AND PENWORK
Part III – TELLING TIME: TIME MEASURED, IMAGINED, AND LIVED
Part IV – BEHIND A BOOK OF HOURS: ANNOTATIONS, SIGNS OF APPROPRIATION, AND OWNERS