Single Leaf from a Book of Hours: Pieta

Attributed to Francesco dai Libri, c. 1475–85

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Artist: Francesco dai Libri (Italian, ?–1506)
Medium: Tempera and gold on vellum
Size: Sheet: 14 x 9.3 cm (5 1/2 x 3 11/16 in.)
Culture: Italy, Verona(?), 15th century
Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

One section of a book of hours is known as the Prayers to the Virgin. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, this group of prayers is written in the first person singular, which allowed readers to insert themselves into the prayer. A reader would begin by calling upon the Virgin Mary and Saint John, with whom they would plead, as saints were considered intercessors who could emphasize a supplicant’s faithfulness. Plaintive or urgent in tone, these prayers are considered some of the most moving texts in books of hours. To accompany them, illuminations often show the Virgin and Child or the Pietà, the Virgin cradling the dead body of Jesus after its removal from the cross.