The Grand Hours of Anne of Brittany

Grandes Heures Anne de Bretagne


Bourdichon, J., 1503
Commissioned by Anne of Brittany, Queen of France

This exquisite text shows some of the most beautiful herbal illustrations of any Herbal. A Book of Hours, it was commissioned by the Queen of France, Anne of Brittany, and was undertaken by Jean Bourdichon over several years from around 1503. It contains 476 pages with 49 full-page Renaissance-style miniatures, 12 illustrated calendar pages, and 337 pages with illuminated borders showing flowers and other plants.

A selection of the herbal illustrations are shown below.

Picture Rose

Picture Columbine
 Picture Barberry

 Picture Borage
Picture Camomile

 Picture Chicory

 Picture Celandine
Picture Cowslip

 Picture Daisy
 Picture Figwort
Picture Foxglove
 Picture Hawthorn
 Picture Heartsease
Picture Herb Robert

 Picture Iris
 Picture Lavender
Picture Pennyroyal

 Picture Periwinkle
 Picture Peach
Picture Picture
Picture Top: Thistle, Pomegranate
Above: Plantain, showing how the illustrations appear on page with text.

To view the entire text, please visit the wonderful website BotanicalIllustrations.org