Past Exhibitions
[Prints and Drawings Gallery]
Manuscripts from the Naito Collection II:
Medieval to Renaissance Prayers and Images

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[Prints and Drawings Gallery]
Manuscripts from the Naito Collection II:
Medieval to Renaissance Prayers and Images

（PDF file, about 4,081KB）

Dates

Thursday, 18 June - Sunday, 23 August 2020
Tuesday, 3 March - Sunday, 14 June 2020
*Dates Changed

Hours

9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Fridays, Saturdays 9:30 am – 9:00 pm
Admission ends 30 mins. before closing time

Closed

Mondays except 13 July, 27 July and 10 August 2020.

Venue

Prints and Drawings Gallery, New Wing

Organized by

The National Museum of Western Art

With the cooperation of

The Western Art Foundation

Admission Fees

Adults 500 yen (400 yen), College students 250 yen (200 yen)

• Numbers in parentheses indicate discount fees for groups of 20 or more.
• Admission is free for Special Exhibition or Permanent Collection ticket holders.
• Visitors aged 18 and under or 65 and older are admitted free of charge. Please show your ID upon entrance to confirm your age.
• Disabled visitors admitted free of charge, with one attendant. Please present your disability identification upon arrival.

This exhibition continues on from the Gothic Manuscripts from the Naito Collection: Microcosms of Images Imbedded in Words, Images Surpassing Words (19 October, 2019 – 26 January, 2020) as it introduces illuminated manuscript leaves collected over many years by Dr. NAITO Hiroshi (Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences), who has graciously donated his collection to the NMWA.

This exhibition focuses largely on works produced in Western Europe during the 15th to 16th centuries, namely those made in England, France and the Netherlands (present-day Belgium and the Netherlands). A particularly large number of these works are leaves from the Book of Hours. At certain times of the day lay worshipper would read specific sections of the Book of Hours, consisting of extracts from the Bible and prayers. These books were primarily commissioned by members of the aristocracy or wealthy townspeople, and dazzle the eye with their gorgeous decoration that reflected the tastes of their commissioners. Renaissance art was flowering in Europe during the 15th to 16th centuries and also influencing the production of illuminated manuscripts. The exhibited works reflect those stylistic characteristics with their more naturalistic and real world feel in their figural depictions and expansive spatial expression.

This display also includes leaves which were purchased with funds donated to the Western Art Foundation by Mr. NAGANUMA Akio. Mr. Naganuma provided these funds because he agrees with Dr. Naito that the medieval Western art collections of Japanese museums should be expanded and improved.

We would like to express our deep appreciation to Dr. Naito and Mr. Naganuma, and our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all those individuals and organizations who cooperated towards the realization of this exhibition.

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