Having explored in the previous chapters how the outside of the manuscript was enhanced, it is now time to turn to the inside of the book and see what happened there after the scribe had finished copying the manuscript. The next three chapters each highlight a type of decoration—a decorative tradition, even. The first of these, discussed in the present chapter, shows how the Annunciation scene was depicted in medieval books of hours. The Annunciation tells the biblical story in which the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Luke 1: 26– 38). There is something very attractive about these scenes for lovers of medieval books. Especially in the late Middle Ages, Mary is pictured reading when Gabriel breaks the news. The idea was to show her in a holy place engaged in prayer, and to make this connection to the beholder; she was shown with a book, which shows just how important books were for practising religion. In other words, this particular scene invited decorators to depict a reader engaged with a book, in a life-like fashion and to the best of their abilities. While being careful not to take medieval iconography too literally, we are given a glimpse into the practice of reading: how the book was held, what it looked like, and what kind of binding it had.

The Manuscript Tradition

A quick search in public online databases results in hundreds of Annunciation scenes: as of the time of publishing, the British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts returned 173 manuscripts, and the French Inititale database no fewer than 407. These manuscripts provide much information about the tradition of a reading Mary. It is striking, for example, just how many Annunciation scenes depict her with a book, as seen in the Carrow Psalter, a ca. 1250 manuscript from East Anglia (Figure 50), where Mary holds a red book in her hand while greeting Gabriel. It became so much of a tradition, in fact, that after 1300 there are few scenes without a book.