Grimani Breviari

The Grimani Breviary is a significant example of an illuminated manuscript. Illuminated manuscripts are handwritten books decorated with gold, silver, vibrant colors, and intricate designs or miniature paintings. This art form was particularly cultivated in Europe for centuries. The term "illumination" originally referred to the use of gold or silver to embellish text, making pages appear luminous.

The Grimani Breviary, created around 1515, is considered a masterpiece of the Ghent-Bruges school of manuscript illuminators. This school was active in Flanders during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Breviary, primarily illuminated by Gerard Horenbout and Simon Bening, features a calendar that updates a similar one from a century earlier. Manuscript illumination, like the handwritten book itself, was eventually superseded by printing technology.12