Madonna of the Book 3: the book
Madonna del Libro, by Sandro Botticelli, 1480-81
Now we’ve arrived at the third of a series of poems on details from Madonna del Libro, by the Italian Renaissance painter, Sandro Botticelli (1st & 2nd linked below). You are welcome to chime in with your own perspective in the comments!
Botticelli detail No. 3: the book
‘Now, as day fadeth quite,
we see the evening light’
-from Vespers hymn,
O, Gladsome Light
(trans. Robert Bridges)
Oh look,
out the window,
the dimming sky,
trees in shade!
It is dusk, the Hour
of Vespers and,
indeed, Our Lady
already has Her book
of hours* open
to that one
among the eight
that are Hers.
And as she reads,
the Child on her lap,
His hand above the page
in pause with Hers,
we sense Her weariness,
the day is long,
and see that She
has grown solemn.
No wonder, for She
may have just turned
from the illumination
that we know must
bring Her back
to Her dear Joseph
leading Them to Egypt,
far from Judea
and Herod’s rage.
And the Child, mindful,
looks on in care as if
He knows Her mind,
as indeed He does,
and all the while
we can’t help but hear
the Hour's prayers:
hymns, psalms, litanies,
in Her honour.
For in our seeing,
our listening,
we know the book
is Her and She the book,
that She does not read,
nor does She turn the page.
Unbound by Time,
She does not need to:
it is for us; that
is for us to do.
*Art historians seem to agree that the Virgin Mary is reading a book of hours, a devotional book popular in medieval and Renaissance Europe. Central to its function were prayers said daily at eight canonical hours or ‘offices’ in honour of the life of the Virgin Mary. Generally, each hour in the book would be accompanied by an illumination depicting a key event in Mary’s life.
Beautiful poem! Very contemplative! 💞💖👏
An elegant poem.