Book of Hours of Bénigne Serre, Dijon, dated 1524

Illuminated manuscript in Latin on vellum. Book of hours for the use of Rome (with a calendar for Langres), from the late period of French illumination.

Intended for Bénigne Serre, the president of the Courts of Accounts of Burgundy, it was painted by a hitherto unknown artist from the circle of the “1520 Hours Workshop”, the Master of Bénigne Serre (who is named after this manuscript). With an abundant 145 miniatures, including 26 large miniatures framed in Renaissance architecture, and many more pictures in all text page borders, this is the richest known manuscript of its time from Burgundy. The book has been preserved complete in splendid condition, in a Parisian binding of the 16th century.

In the 18th century, the manuscript was owned by the family Bretagne of Dijon, who wrote a Livre de raison on several appended pages.