Bank of America supports TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund Conservation of the Black Book of Hours

Established in 2012, this annual grant supports the vital work of the international art community in preserving artistic and cultural heritage. In a newly established collaboration, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project is jointly supporting TMRF, creating the opportunity to double the fund’s impact this year. 

With funding from the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund and Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project, the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, a free public museum located in Washington Heights in New York City, will conserve Horae beatae marie secundum usum curie romane (Black Book of Hours). Given the extreme rarity of books of hours on vellum stained with black ink or painted with black pigment, it is among the most important items in the Hispanic Society’s manuscript collection. The work will be on view at TEFAF New York, which runs from May 9-13, 2025 at the Park Avenue Armory, with an invitation-only preview day on May 8. 

“The Society's broader mission includes advancing knowledge of Hispanic arts, literature, and history through its museum and library collections. The Black Book of Hours serves as a tangible connection to the past, embodying the artistic and historical narratives that the Society seeks to celebrate and share,” Dr. John O’Neill, Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library commented. “Its restoration not only

preserves the physical artifact but also reinforces the Society's commitment to cultural education and heritage preservation.” 

Dating from circa 1458, the Black Book of Hours is one of only seven known illuminated manuscripts on black-colored vellum. It is believed that the volume belonged to Maria of Castile, queen of Alfonso V of Aragón, based on a 17th-century note and the book’s Castilian coat of arms. The calendar is also appropriate for the Crown of Aragón, with the canonization of St. Vincent Ferrer in 1455 as the earliest possible date of composition of the manuscript. It has been suggested that this book of hours was an offering of bereavement to María of Castile presented on the death of her husband in 1458. The fact the book is executed on black parchment and that María’s coat of arms is no longer blazoned with Aragón have been cited as evidence. The artist, most certainly Flemish, likely worked for the Aragonese court. 

The conservation treatment, which seeks to address the inordinate pressure on the volume’s structure exerted by its tight, 19th-century blue Morocco leather binding each time the book is examined or exhibited, will begin with the careful disbinding of the 149 folios. The process will continue with a comprehensive condition assessment addressing issues such as losses, tears, and areas of bloom. Baseline data for monitoring environmental effects will be established by micro-sampling to analyze the vellum, gold, and silver decorations. Custom housing will be constructed to facilitate examination while ensuring safe, long-term storage. Additionally, high-resolution photography of each page will enable scholars across the globe to access the object without physical handling. Since the manuscript was presented to the Hispanic Society in 1933, this textually complete Book of Hours remains one of the museum’s most requested volumes. 

“Art is often vulnerable to the passage of time. Realizing there’s a critical need to preserve art for future generations, we started the Art Conservation Project in 2010,” said Brian Siegel, Global Arts, Culture & Heritage Executive at Bank of America. “Since then, over 275 awards have been made in 40 countries. This year's projects include a wide array of artistic styles, media and cultural traditions across the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and Latin America.” 

Rachel Kaminsky, head of the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund committee, explains the significance of this important conservation project: “In keeping with the mission of the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, we are proud to support the Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s ongoing commitment to sharing culturally significant treasures with audiences in New York and around the world. The restoration and preservation of the Black Book of Hours will allow for its proper display and ensure that future generations can study and appreciate this extraordinary and rare manuscript. Doubly exciting, the book will be exhibited at TEFAF New York, giving visitors a chance to view it firsthand prior to conservation.” 

Main image: Copyright Kirk Davis Swinehart