Workshop of Thielman Kerver, “Maria says Goodbye to Her Mother”, circa 1505–1508

Workshop of Thielman Kerver (also known as Thielman I Kerver) (–1522)

“Maria says Goodbye to Her Mother”, circa 1505–1508

Technical Details & Condition:

A premium vellum leaf from the French Book of Hours “Horae B. Mariae Virginis — Hore dive virginis Marie secundum verum usum Romanum” (Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the true Roman custom) printed by Thielman Kerver in Paris.

The recto features a central woodcut—or possibly a metalcut, based on the extreme fineness of the line—surrounded by a pictorial woodcut border and Latin letterpress text printed in black and red. Initials are brilliantly highlighted with liquid gold leaf over hand-coloured red and blue backgrounds. The verso contains Latin letterpress text printed in striking black and red inks, framed within late-medieval woodcut marginalium panels. Initial letters in the main text are also hand-coloured in red and blue.

The finely executed illustration is a strong, crisp lifetime impression showing only minor signs of wear to the printing plate. The hand-painted initial letters present very minor, expected rubbing, and the vellum shows a beautiful natural age-toning. The leaf remains in excellent condition for its 500+ year age, entirely free of tears, holes, folds, or distracting stains.

Note: The attached angled photograph demonstrates the leaf's excellent structural integrity, catching the light to show the smooth, lustrous surface finish characteristic of premium, polished late-medieval Parisian vellum.

Context of the Relief Print:

This exceptional leaf captures an unusual iconographic scene drawn from the Apocryphal narrative of the Life of the Virgin Mary—her tender farewell to her mother, Saint Anne, prior to departing for the Temple or her betrothal to Joseph. Unlike standard, widespread scenes like the Annunciation or the Nativity, this intimate domestic moment highlights the late-medieval artistic shift toward humanising holy figures.

Produced at the absolute peak of the Parisian print Renaissance, Thielman Kerver’s workshop was globally celebrated for its complex geometric border panels and crisp typography. This specific leaf exemplifies early French book illustration at its finest, masterfully balancing dense letterpress text against vibrant, hand-illuminated capitals.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 16.4 x 10.5 cm
• Image borderline: 12.4 x 7.9 cm

Letterpress Lettering & Translations:

• Recto: “Deus in adiutoriu[m] meu[m] intende. Domine / ad adiuvand[u]m me festina. Gloria patri & fi / lio[.] Sicut erat i[n] pri[n]cipio. an. Assu[m]pta e[st]. ps[almus]”
(Translation: “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son. As it was in the beginning. Antiphon: She has been assumed [The Assumption]. Psalm.”)
• Verso (upper text): “...tuum verum: & vnicum [filium]. Sanctum [quoque paraclitum spiritum] … In te, Domine, speravi: non confundar in aeternum. / Ad laudes.”
(Translation: “...Thy honorable, true, and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter... In thee, O Lord, have I trusted: let me never be confounded. / To Lauds.”)
• Verso (two side border panels): “Surge et acci / pe pueru[m] & ma / tre[m] ei[us] & fuge i[n] // egyptu[m]: et esto / ibi usq[ue] dū di / cā tibi Mat. 2”
(Translation: “Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. Matthew 2.”)
• Verso (lower two base panels): “Ecce esau frater tu / us minatur ut occi / dat te. Genesis. [2]7 // Nisi saluaueris te / nocte hac cras mo / rieris. I. regum. 19.”
(Translation: “Behold, your brother Esau threatens to kill you. Genesis 27. // If thou save not thy life this night, tomorrow thou shalt be slain. 1 Kings 19 [Modern 1 Samuel].”)

References:

• Marie Berthail, “The First French Engravers: A Nascent Art of Book Illustration”, 1986, Nantes, Loire-Atlantique Departmental Museums, p. 88, cat. no. 33
• Chase Shepard, “08, Comparison of Two Books of Hours Printed by Thielman Kerver” (2018): https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/31078
• Rijksmuseum: Object number RP-P-OB-21.165 (https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200130040)

Price & Shipping:

AU$544 (approx. US$375.43 / €329.63 / £284.46), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if applicable) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this jewel of a double-sided vellum leaf from a Book of Hours—featuring a remarkably fine relief print depicting Mary holding the hand of her kneeling mother, Saint Anne—please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.

This leaf has been sold