The Holy and Intimate Hours of the Middle Ages

Books of Hours, which became popular during the 15th century, are not rare, but often charged with particular emotions, both sacred and intimate. Forgotten for many years, these Books of Hours are now available for the pleasure of collectors and specialists. "The principal feature of these manuscripts is that they come from the same family. One of them found its way into the hands of the current owners, through a series of alliances that go back to the patrons in the 1520s," emphasizes the expert, Ludovic Miran. The Marquis de Lagoy: A Prestigious Provenance The family of Jean-Baptiste Florentin Gabriel de Meryan (1764-1829), better known under his title of Marquis de Lagoy, gives these books a distinguished provenance. Born in Arles, France, he was renowned for his important collection of 2,500 drawings, rather than his military or political career as a committed royalist, an officer in the King's regiment until the Revolution and then a deputy from Aix-en-Provence under the Bourbons. Having even trained in engraving to popularize his drawings, he was also the nephew of the great book collector at the origin of the library of Aix-en-Provence, the Marquis de Méjanes. The latter made him his heir apparent. It is worth noting that each of…