Last year, the BPH presented its Books of Hours under the title Sleutel tot licht [Key to Light] with an exhibition, a publication and an elaborate web presentation. The latter can be accessed via this website. For an impression of these beautifully illuminated books, click here. The presentation will be continually updated with new images. We therefore advise you to visit the site frequently to find out if new material has been added.

These words can be found in the medieval Book of Hours. Owing to the Dutch translation of Geert Grote († 1384), it became the most popular prayerbook in the Netherlands in the 15th century. The Hours of Eternal Wisdom included in the Book of Hours not only offers an intimate dialogue but also reflects a practical mysticism intended to bring the soul and Christ closer together.

The phenomenon of the Book of Hours is placed in the context of the Modern Devotion, the spiritual movement which deeply influenced late medieval culture in the Netherlands. The Book of Hours encouraged introspection as a means to draw nearer to God. Geert Grote’s translation enabled lay people an opportunity – for the first time – to pray in the vernacular and thus participate in regular choir prayers provided by religious men and women.

Solitary reading – ‘in a nook with a book’ – is essential for the deeply personal experience of striving to become one with God. The new devotion encouraged strong participation on the part of the observer, which was expressed in words like: see now, adore him and follow him. …. The urge to empathize and suffer with Christ occasioned a flood of images focussing on the life and passion of Jesus. Images are an aid to contemplation, ‘to see is to remember’, because they have a more direct emotional impact than words. The delicate miniatures and marginal decorations not only show how commitment to the work’s devotional message was matched with an eye for splendid detail. They also offer an excellent sample of the artistic achievements of Dutch artists at work in the fifteenth century.

The books of Hours were acquired by the State of the Netherlands five years ago and were deposited in the BPH. The exhibition was accompanied by a full-colour publication, including 11 essays and showing all 25 Books of Hours, from plain manuals to little treasures. The abundantly illustrated Sleutel tot Licht by Helen Wüstefeld and Anne Korteweg is available from bookshops and in the library (read more). Medieval manuscripts are books which continue to fascinate down to the smalles detail but which can only be fully appreciated when they are actually on view. For a more elaborate web presentation go to: read more

A book does not belong to you; you belong to the book (Geert Grote)

Hours of the Holy Spirit

Hours of the Eternal Wisdom