The prayer book of Anne de Bretagne, painted by the artist Jean Poyer, is just one of many examples of religious manuscripts commissioned by Anne. As an avid patron of the arts who favoured books, both illuminated manuscripts and those in printed form, Anne, and the works she commissioned, have both drawn a great deal of attention from scholars, as they provide a wide scope of study on patronage in the French royal court during the early Renaissance. The great number of illuminated manuscripts ascribed to Anne’s possession indicates a partiality towards this art form, and it is likely that she chose to commission these frequently, for they provided her with the opportunity to be in a position where she could oversee every step in the process of producing each book, thus imbuing personal content throughout. To the very slightest detail, each illuminated manuscript was extremely personalised. With all of these factors considered, noting each personalisation …show more content…
There are letters that comprise the border of each page, surrounding the miniatures in the centre. Though they change in style and arrangement on each page, these letters – a, n, and e – are a reminder as each page is turned that the book owes its creation to Anne. An additional personalisation takes form in these letters, for each is fashioned with cordelières, which she also used, to name only two of many examples, in her code of arms and clothing. The cordeliere, worn by St. Francis and, after him, by Franciscans, was popular with Anne since it was a symbol frequently used by her grandfather, then her father, François the I and II, Dukes of Brittany. These cordelières certainly conjure the image of Anne as a pious woman, but also reemphasize her status as a Duchess of Brittany turned queen consort. In this way, she is making sure that her home and ancestry is recalled, both for herself and for her