Miniature from a Book of Hours with Virgin and Christ Child c. 1490 - 1500

This miniature of the Virgin and Christ Child was made in France around 1480, attributed to Jean Poyer and his workshop. The work is from a Book of Hours, a type of prayer book popular among wealthy laypeople in the late Middle Ages. Here, the Virgin Mary is depicted holding the Christ Child, surrounded by angels playing musical instruments. Mary is shown as the Queen of Heaven through the use of expensive ultramarine pigment in her robe. The inclusion of angels, the gold background, and the intimacy of mother and child all work to evoke a sense of divine grace. Such Books of Hours speak to the growing literacy and private devotion of the late 15th century, as well as the commercialization of religious imagery. By studying such artefacts, we can learn about the religious beliefs, social customs, and economic practices of the time. The history of art is the history of how people made meaning through images.