Heures de Charles d'Angoulême

The book contains full-page miniatures mostly painted by Robinet Testard, many of which have been adapted from, and inspired by, engravings, including sixteen prints by Israhel van Meckenem which have been glued onto the vellum and overpainted.

[2] The folios most concerned with personal devotion, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ (f. 106v), were in fact the work of the engraver Israhel van Meckenem, subsequently coloured by Testard with his characteristic luminous hues.

Surrounding, the four symbols of the evangelists are arranged in a Latin cross: John's eagle (top), the winged lion of Mark (left), the bull of Luke (right), and Matthew's angel (bottom).

He has made some alterations to the faces and postures of the other characters, and added four prophets to the corners, skillfully extending and elaborating the foliate motifs to unify the image.

Closer examination reveals it to be a combination of religious and picturesque elements: a shepherd in the background points to an angel in the sky who is accompanied by a phylactery bearing the words of the Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Typically understood to represent a Centaur battling the Lapiths, a purely mythological tale and unusual subject for use in the "Office for the Dead", Belkin posits that this contest between man and beast is "symbolic of the struggle against dark forces.

The private nature of the Book of Hours leads one to infer that Charles used the allegory of the struggle with the Vices for his own political vendetta against his rivals, conveying in this enigmatic miniature his bitter enmity towards those who had wronged him.

[11] A print by van Meckenem, lightly coloured by Testard, depicting St George, patron saint of chivalry and military orders across medieval Europe.

Testard leaves the original print largely unaltered except for the conical hat and veil of the princess which he has replaced with a turban reflecting contemporary fashion.