Valuable Books: Fifteenth-Century Books of Hours as Evidence of Social, Sentimental, and Artistic Value

This project examines medieval commonplace prayer books, known as Books of Hours, and their uses in fifteenth-century England. Art historical scholarship on the topic has tended to focus on the most sumptuous examples of the genre and their material value in the use of costly materials such as gold leaf and rare pigments, or their aesthetic value in terms of technical virtuosity and innovative illuminations. Adding to this, I will examine more accessible, affordable examples made for prospective buyers in the proto-mass production market. I propose that the common types of texts and images that make up these books, as well as various owners’ marks such as annotations, doodles, additions of small paintings or tokens, and records of family births and deaths, are indications of different types of value: social value, as carriers of shared interests in religiosity and participation in the community; and sentimental value, as a site for collecting and accumulating family history and memories of the community.

Faculty Supervisor:

Adam S. Cohen

Student:

Partner:

Birkbeck, University of London

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: