Printed Book of Hours (Use of Rome): fol. 95v - Guillaume Le Rouge

A leaf from a printed Book of Hours by Guillaume Le Rouge, featuring traditional gothic typography from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century.

This leaf originates from a printed Book of Hours, a devotional text popular during the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. Produced by the Parisian printer Guillaume Le Rouge, this folio demonstrates the transition from hand-copied manuscripts to the efficiency of the printing press. The text is set in a formal gothic script, which mimics the appearance of traditional scribal hands while allowing for wider dissemination of religious literature. The Use of Rome refers to the specific liturgical arrangement of the prayers and offices contained within the volume. Books of Hours were personal prayer books, often commissioned by laypeople to structure their daily devotions. This particular page, folio 95v, contains Latin text arranged in a clean, justified column format. The layout reflects the functional requirements of a devotional book, prioritising legibility and the orderly presentation of the liturgy. Le Rouge was active in Paris during the turn of the sixteenth century, a period when the city became a centre for the production of high-quality printed books. His work often bridged the gap between the aesthetic traditions of the medieval period and the technical innovations of the printing era. The paper itself shows the texture and slight discolouration characteristic of early modern rag paper, providing a tactile quality that connects the viewer to the material culture of the period. This print captures the precise alignment of the metal type and the disciplined spacing of the lines, offering a clear view into the mechanics of early European printing. It is a document of both religious practice and the technological shift that redefined how information was recorded and shared in the Renaissance.