The incredible Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne has a compelling story behind the beautiful craftsmanship. Our Melvin R. Seiden Curator and Department Head Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts Roger S. Wieck describes the work in detail.

Anne de Bretagne was not only Queen of France but also Duchess of Brittany. We know it was she who commissioned the book because her portrait is featured in the text’s illuminations, which are done by an artist named John Poyer. Poyer was working in the French city of Tour in the Loire Valley in the late 15th and early 16th century.

The Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne is housed in The Morgan Library & Museum’s permanent collection in New York City.