This is the very first exhibition at the MMFA dedicated to the books of hours in medieval and Renaissance art offering a chance to discover an overlooked heritage through a remarkable selection of illuminations and bound manuscripts preserved in Quebec, dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

Books of hours were created for lay people and were popularized by the Christian faithful. These manuscripts were, for the most part, personalized and illuminated with miniature paintings―or illuminations―illustrating the life of Christ, the saints or the Virgin Mary.

They incorporated a calendar of holy and religious feasts, passages from the gospels and prayers. The result of significant academic research, this exhibition comprises more than 50 artifacts (leaves, complete manuscripts, prints), which offer a closer look of these treasures gathered from seven collections.