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USC Illuminated Medieval Manuscripts

Saint Amant (Amand)

Amandus, born in Lower Poitou (c. 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, or Saint Amant, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht. He was one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders, and he is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and in Belgium.

Feast day: 6 February.

As well as being a great missionary, St. Amand was a father of monasticism in ancient Belgium; a score of monasteries claimed him as founder. In particular, he founded
houses at Elnone (Saint-Amand-les-Eaux), near Tournai, which became his headquarters.

Known for his hospitality, Saint Amand is the patron saint of all who produce or sell beer (brewers, innkeepers, bartenders).

See: Catholic Online

Danielle Mihram, October 2020.

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Physical Description Book of Hours Use of Netherlands A beautifully illuminated, complete manuscript, with calendar, wide margins, more than a hundred 2-line illuminated initials, and 6 illuminated full-page miniatures, encircled by richly decorated and colored borders consisting of flowers and leaves. Inside the book cover’s back board, contemporary manuscript annotations state that the book belonged to Grietken Baeckx, who lived in “Groot Begijnhof” in Ghent. The calendar also points to Ghent, since Saints Amant (February), Amelberga (July), and Bavo (October) are emphasized in red.

The Latin is influenced by Dutch vernacular, and the large script also points to the Netherlands. The miniatures are made for the main devotions and have blank versos. They are professionally painted with life-like, long-stretched figures, engaged in different ceremonies, and often showing part of a landscape in the background (sometimes through a window, demonstrating early signs of perspective.

This page references:

Book of Hours Use of Netherlands Calendar, February