Agony in the Garden from the Coëtivy Hours

Object Information

Material:: Parchment (material) Gold leaf Gold pigment Pigment (material) Ink (material)

Description:: Folio with three-quarter page miniature from a book of hours attributed to the Dunois Master, written in Latin and French in a bastarda script, made in Paris and dated 1443–1445. It was commissioned by Prigent de Coëtivy (1399?–1450) on the occasion of his marriage to Marie de Rais (1429–1457). Removed from the bound volume between 1933 and 1960. Beneath rubrics in red, a prayer to Jesus Christ opens with the illuminated initial 'D' (Domine ihesu christe fili dei vivi in honore trium sanctissimarum orationum quas tibi humo) painted with white, red, blue and gold ivy-leaf ornament. The miniature is painted in demi-grisaille with pigments and gold and depicts the Agony in the Garden. After the Last Supper, Jesus retired to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He was accompanied by three disciples, Peter, James and John, who were unable to stay awake despite repeated requests. Here, Jesus asks for the cup (burden) to be taken from him. The chalice contains various Instruments of the Passion: nail, cross, sponge and lance. An angel sent from God appeared, and strengthened him. A group of soldiers appears in the upper left corner. In the lower margin, Judas, carrying a bag of 30 gold pieces, leads a group of soldiers and officials. The strawberries are a reference to the Crucifixion, their trifoliate leaves to the Trinity. Although Judas still appears on the verso, the soldiers are replaced by a musician playing a pipe.

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