Short Hours of the Cross and Holy Spirit
Much like the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Cross and the Holy Spirit generally follow a sequence running from Matins to Compline, excepting Lauds. Each section of the Hours of the Spirit represents a different facet of the Holy Spirit and further explores the redemption of mankind. Matins deals with the Incarnation, Prime with Christ's Crucifixion, Terce with Pentecost, Sext with the Apostles, None with the details of the Holy Spirit, Vespers with the Spirit as a protector, and Compline with Judgment Day. The concluding lines ask for the Holy Spirit's aid in gaining eternal salvation. Similarly, as the Hours of the Spirit revolves around Pentecost, the Hours of the Cross concentrates on the Crucifixion. Each Hour is a different meditation on Christ's Passion, proceeding sequentially in a similar way to the Stations of the Cross used today.
Both sections in the Lewis & Clark manuscript are "short"– they follow an abbreviated format of prayer that nonetheless is meant to serve the same purpose as the longer prayer. In fact, this is not unusual: only extremely lavish texts generally had long Hours of the Cross and Holy Spirit, which would be roughly equal in length to the Hours of the Virgin. However, the structure of these hours differs from their standard organization in other ways. The first block of text (8 lines) in the Hours of the Cross does not accord with anything in the Hypertext Book of Hours. The second block, beginning with the first decorated initial on the page, is in accordance with the oratio, or prayer, at Matins. After this begins the first line for Prime from the Hypertext Book of Hours: “Deus in adiutorium meum intende," and then the text moves directly into the hymn for that hour, which begins “Hora prima...”.
The Lewis & Clark book of hours is full of such abnormalities, most of which are not directly traceable to any particular artisan or city of origin. While one might hope that these abnormalities might make attributing this particular manuscript simpler, this is unfortunately not the case, as there are few manuscripts that actually resemble it. One practice that can be used to explore the creation of the book is the technique of connoisseurship. Connoisseurship is an investigative technique which was most popular in the 19" and early 20th centuries. Connoisseurs used observation and conjecture to attribute and date various works of art. Using the large miniature of Pentecost on folio 41r as a particularly clear example, it is possible to apply the practices of connoisseurship to Lewis and Clark’s book of hours, and thus attempt to place it within the larger tradition of books of hours.
Though in recent years, the practice of connoisseurship has fallen out of favor, many of the techniques used by the early connoisseurs of the 19th and early 20th centuries can still be applied today. The general technique largely depends on the observation of seemingly superficial details. These details are often the most distinctive, as they are small enough that the artist, whether a forger or an artist in a workshop, would create them in their own style rather than as a mimic of a different artist. Connoisseurs concentrate on seemingly insignificant details, such as the shape of fingers or eyes, in order to identify parts of the artist’s style that would not have been changed by outside forces such as a particular workshop or patron.
The odd art style used within the illuminations of this manuscript is quite unique. The full-page miniature of Pentecost on folio 41r, opening the Hours of the Holy Spirit, is especially strange, particularly with regards to its composition. Whereas many illuminations of Pentecost typically include all figures centered around the Virgin Mary at the center of the page, this particular manuscript instead crowds all of the figures to the right side of the image as they stare up to the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, in the left hand corner. In contrast, in a book of hours from Bourges circa 1480, the illumination of Pentecost on folio 66r ifeatures figures standing in the typical Pentecost formation, surrounding the central figure of the Virgin Mary as they stare up at the Holy Spirit, which again appears in the form of a dove. That being said, both the Lewis and Clark manuscript and the Bourges manuscript both include a similar, faux-classical background. This background includes arches and pillars, all in a very similar beige-color. This similar kind of background suggests the artists perhaps had similar influences. Furthermore, both the Lewis and Clark manuscript and this particular manuscript both rely on gold detailing on clothing in order to achieve drapery and folding. This similar use of gold may also suggest a similar influence in both manuscripts. Furthermore, the proportions of the figures are also similar with regards to how small the heads of the saints are in comparison to the size of their bodies.
However, when applying the techniques of connoisseurship directly to compare these two manuscripts, it can be seen that while the artists undoubtedly share source material and perhaps even influences, they do not share an artist. Looking at the Virgin’s hands in the Lewis and Clark manuscript, one is immediately struck by the sheer size of the hands, as well as the lack of fingernails and the relatively visible brushstrokes. In comparison, the Bourges manuscript's Virgin is much more petite, with much thinner, flatter hands and no visible brushstrokes. Furthermore, the eyes of both figures are incredibly different. Whereas the Virgin of the Lewis and Clark book of hours has large, swollen eyes with visible bags above and below her actual eyes, the Bourges Virgin’s eyes are almost entirely closed, with very little overall definition. Furthermore, the noses between both manuscripts are entirely different; where the Lewis and Clark Virgin’s nose is rather large and pointed, the Bourges Virgin’s nose is much softer and rounded. In contrast, the Parisian Book of Hours is more similar to the Lewis and Clark book of hours with regards to the facial features of the figures within the illumination. Both the eyes of the Lewis and Clark book of hours as well as the eyes of the Parisian book are rather hooded and swollen. That being said, the figures within the Pentecost page of the Lewis and Clark book of hours are still much wider than either the eyes in the Bourges or the Parisian books of hours.