You ever see something so old it actually feels modern? That’s the vibe with the Hours of Catherine of Cleves. It’s a prayer book from the 1440s, but it’s basically the medieval version of a high-end, custom-designed iPad.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle it exists at all. Most books from that era are kinda dusty and predictable. This one? It’s got demons, pretzels, and some of the weirdest borders you’ll ever see in a religious text.
Who Was Catherine, Anyway?
Catherine of Cleves wasn't just some random lady. She was the Duchess of Guelders and a total powerhouse in the Netherlands. She lived in a time of constant political backstabbing. Her marriage to Arnold of Egmond was, to put it mildly, a disaster. They eventually ended up in a full-blown civil war against each other.
You’ve gotta wonder if she commissioned this book just to find some peace. Or maybe to show off. In the very first miniature, she’s right there, kneeling before the Virgin Mary, draped in a royal red mantle. She wanted God (and everyone else) to know exactly who she was.
The Master of Catherine of Cleves
We don’t even know the artist's real name. History just calls him the Master of Catherine of Cleves.
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He was a bit of a rebel. While other artists were stuck painting flat, boring figures, this guy was obsessed with the "infinitesimal." He painted details of details.
- He used silver foil to make fish look slimy and real.
- He painted a Holy Family scene where Joseph is literally using a wood plane.
- He put the infant Jesus in a medieval baby walker.
It’s this weird mix of the divine and the totally mundane. You’re looking at a prayer to a saint, but the border is full of mussels, birdcages, or even a son stealing from his dying father. It's gritty.
The Great 19th-Century Heist
Here’s the part that sounds like a movie plot. In the 1850s, a shady book dealer got his hands on the manuscript. Instead of selling it as one piece, he realized he could make more money if he split it in two.
He didn't just cut it in half. He carefully shuffled the pages so that both halves looked like complete, independent books. He totally fooled the art world for over a century.
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Fast forward to 1963. The Morgan Library & Museum in New York buys one volume. Then, a few years later, the second volume pops up. The curator, John Plummer, realized they were actually the same book. It took years of "manuscript forensics"—checking ink bleeds and catchwords—to figure out the original order. They’re back together now, but the scars of that split are part of its history.
The Mouth of Hell
If you’ve seen one image from the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, it’s probably the Mouth of Hell. It’s terrifying.
It looks like something out of a Bosch painting. A giant, fanged beast’s mouth is the entrance to a furnace where demons are tossing the damned. For Catherine, this wasn't just "cool art." It was a literal warning. She lived in a world where hell was a very real destination, and she used these prayers as a sort of spiritual insurance policy.
Why You Should Care
You don't have to be religious to find this thing fascinating. It’s a window into a mind that lived 600 years ago.
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The borders are the real stars. No two are alike. One page has a border made entirely of gold and silver coins—actual currency from Catherine's time. Another has a chain of jewelry that scholars think acted as a "simulated gift" to the saints.
It’s a masterclass in storytelling. The Master of Catherine of Cleves didn't just paint icons; he painted life. He showed people eating, working, and even sinning.
What to Do Next
If you want to see this for yourself, you don't have to fly to New York (though the Morgan Library is worth the trip).
- Check the Digital Archives: The Morgan Library has digitized the entire manuscript. You can zoom in until you see the individual brushstrokes on the pretzels.
- Look for the "Holy Family at Work": It’s one of the most famous miniatures. See if you can spot the tiny details in Joseph’s workshop.
- Compare the Borders: Notice how the marginalia (the stuff in the margins) often has absolutely nothing to do with the prayer. Think about what that says about the medieval sense of humor.
The Hours of Catherine of Cleves is proof that human nature hasn't changed that much. We still love luxury, we're still scared of the dark, and we still want our personal belongings to reflect exactly who we are.
Next Step for You: Start by exploring the Morgan Library’s online collection. Look specifically for MS M.917 and M.945. Pay attention to the "Suffrages" section; it's where the artist really let his imagination run wild with those weird borders.