Prayer book by Laureins van den Haute

This prayer book, as indicated by the inscription on folio 2, was in the possession of Laureins van den Haute (died in 1604), guardian and benefactor of the Wenemaersgodshuis in Ghent, in 1574. At that time, Van den Haute was serving as a chamberlain to Jacob Fugger in Augsburg. In 1581, Joris Hoefnagel created six miniatures for Van den Haute in Munich, which were bound in quires among the prayers: a blessing Christ (folio 8), a Calvary scene (folio 12v), the Nativity of Christ with the initials GE and HF (folio 16v), Saint Lawrence with the monogram GHF and the year 1581 (folio 20v), the Resurrection (folio 24v), and the coat of arms with the initials and motto of Laureins van den Haute ‘en Dieu gist mon espoir’ (in God lies my hope) (folio 75). The miniatures are accompanied by emblems, inscriptions and decorative elements characteristic of Joris Hoefnagel. It is presumed that Laureins van den Haute met the artist in Bavaria, where he stayed for a commission. In total, six so-called ‘codices’ by Joris Hoefnagel have been preserved. With this term, specialist Thea Vignau refers to publications in bound book form with varying content, which include miniatures by Hoefnagel. The drawings in Laurens van den Haute’s prayer book are the earliest dated miniatures on parchment in bound book form by this artist and are also in a very good state of preservation, giving them benchmark value within his body of work. Joris Hoefnagel was already celebrated in his own time for his exceptional skill as a miniaturist and is considered an important pioneer in the genre. His work on parchment is globally dispersed and rarely preserved in Flanders, which also gives this album its benchmark value. For instance, the Print Room of the Plantin-Moretus Museum houses a loose-leaf Composition with butterflies, caterpillars and an owl, or Allegory for Abraham Ortelius (inv. PK.OT.00535), which is already recognised as a masterpiece. Finally, the prayer book holds special value for the collective memory as a testament to the patronage of the Ghent native Laureins van den Haute, who commissioned the miniatures from Hoefnagel.