By Jacqueline Maar
Daily Bruin Contributor
It all started with Johann Gutenberg and his invention of
moveable type. From there on, books have been available to everyone
and have been printed in mass for public consumption. But before
Gutenberg, books were made by hand, and each page was specially
written and elaborately decorated. The Gualenghi-d’Este Hours
is one such book.
Now on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum is “The
Gualenghi-d’Este Hours: Art and Devotion in Renaissance
Ferrara,” an exhibit devoted to a 15th century Italian prayer
book as well as panel paintings, medals and other manuscripts from
the same period.
The Gualenghi-d’Este Hours is a manuscript illuminated by
Taddeo Crivelli and Gugliemo Giraldi. The book was commissioned
around 1469 in order to celebrate the marriage of diplomat Andrea
Gualengo and Orsina d’Este, a member of the ruling family of
Ferrara. Crivelli and Giraldi were the two most important
manuscript illuminators in Renaissance Ferrara during that time
period.
The manuscript, mostly illuminated by Crivelli, is one of the
last manuscripts that he completed and shows his mastery at
portraying religious themes in his illuminations. Displayed through
photographic reproductions, the Gualenghi-d’Este Hours shows
Crivelli’s genius as an artist of manuscript decoration.
Also displayed in the exhibit are medals, panel paintings, other
manuscripts, a printed book and a terra cotta statue. These
objects, all made around the same time period in Renaissance
Ferrara, give a feel for the era through examples of the artistic
influences and aesthetic qualities of the period.
A portrait medal is on display of Alfonso V of Aragon, king of
Naples, who was related through marriage to the d’Este
family. Pisanello, a court artist of Ferrara’s ruling family
and inventor of Renaissance portrait medals, created the medal.
The subtle depth that Pisanello gives to the relief sculpture
can be seen in the delicate carving of each figure on the medal.
The dog featured in the medal was emulated by Crivelli in the
Gualenghi-d’Este Hours.
This reproduction of the work of the highly revered court
painter Pisanello symbolizes the reverence for Pisanello and for
the d’Este ruling family by Crivelli. This image represents
the personal preferences of the family, allowing the book to honor
its owners in adding to its function as a prayer book.
The exhibit at the Getty of the Gualenghi d’Este Hours
gives viewers a good feel for the artistic time period of the
Italian manuscript. Although none of the actual pages of the prayer
book, Gualenghi-d’Este Hours, appear in the exhibit at the
Getty, this exhibit features other objects that show the Ferrarese
style during the 1400s that examine connections between illuminated
manuscripts, painting and sculpture.
Also, the manuscript illumination of the Gualenghi-d’Este
Hours is compared to other works of art during that time period,
especially examining the personalized aspects of the manuscript for
its patrons. Lastly, the exhibit focuses on a painting of Saint
Jerome in the Desert, which is examined within the religious
ideology of the city and is supposed to have originated in
Renaissance Ferrara.
Despite the exhibit’s name, the main attraction at the
exhibit is not the reproductions of the Gualenghi-d’Este
Hours manuscript, but a panel painting by Cosme Tura of The Virgin
and Child that was compared to a page from another illuminated
manuscript on the same subject by Crivelli. The similarities in
their composition and their subject matter show the religious
themes of the period as well as the influences that Crivelli had
from other artists of the time period.
Included in the exhibit is a painting of Saint Jerome in the
Desert by Master of the Gesuati. This painting is then compared to
a reproduction of an illumination from the Gualenghi-d’Este
Hours of the saint. The image of Saint Jerome on his knees before
the crucified Christ gives the viewer a feel for the religious
background and piety of the people of Ferrara. The comparison to
the illumination by Crivelli aids in drawing a connection between
the painting and the Gualenghi-d’Este Hours.
For art buffs and novices alike, the
“Gualenghi-d’Este Hours: Art and Devotion in
Renaissance Ferrara” exhibit at the Getty Museum will be an
educational and interesting experience. Though not living up to its
full expectation, the exhibit still glows with its own brilliance.
The main attraction may not be present in a literal sense, but
other works shine in its place.
In the present day society of printed books and mass
publications, the prayer book of the Gualenghi-d’Este Hours
is an original masterpiece that is worth viewing, even in
reproductions.
ART: “The Gualenghi-d’Este Hours: Art and Devotion
in Renaissance Ferrara” exhibit is on view at the Getty
Center through July 30. For information call (310) 440-7305.