In the Middle Ages, the desire to better understand humanity’s first parents led to the reinterpretation and expansion of the chapters of Genesis. The need to fill in the silences of the biblical account encouraged the dissemination of apocryphal texts, which enjoyed great popularity in manuscripts, especially those intended for personal devotion, such as the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban.
Inspired by the Vita Adae et Evae, a narrative focused on the life of Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise, few works of this tradition have survived, leaving many questions unanswered. What became of them? Why did the devil tempt them? And how did they survive in the wild?
This article proposes to delve into this unique work, contextualise its content, and analyse the meaning of its images within medieval Christian visual culture.
The Medieval Apocryphal Tradition: Beyond the Bible
Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban – fol. 24v – image courtesy M. Moleiro Editor
The narrative of the Life of Adam and Eve emerged as a response to the narrative gaps left by Genesis regarding the fate of the first couple after their expulsion from Eden. These apocryphal texts, composed between the 1st and 4th centuries and later translated into vernacular languages, sought to provide details about Adam’s penance, Eve’s suffering, and the first days of humanity in a fallen world, marked by death, pain, and guilt—Adam’s quest for reconciliation with God, Eve’s painful motherhood, and the loss of her son Abel at the hands of her other son Cain, the first murder in human history.
During the Middle Ages, the influence of these narratives was notable in certain monastic and courtly circles. These stories reinforced doctrines of original sin, divine mercy, and future redemption, establishing typological parallels between Adam-Christ and Eve-Mary—devices commonly used in medieval exegesis.
The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban: A Singular Work
Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban – fol. 22r – image courtesy M. Moleiro Editor
Among the testimonies that have survived to this day, the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban (15th century) stands out as an exceptional piece. Not only does it offer the customary prayers for daily use, but it also incorporates a cycle of miniatures illustrating passages from the Vita Adae et Evae, an unusual feature in books of hours.
These images are inserted within the penitential prayers: Adam and Eve appear as the first sinners, but also as the first penitents. The miniatures depict moments such as Eve’s despair after the expulsion, Adam’s forced labour on barren soil, and their struggle against temptation and the devil. The main themes of the battle between good and evil and the hope for humanity’s redemption are thus established.
Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban – fol. 23v – image courtesy M. Moleiro Editor
One of the most striking aspects of this manuscript is the representation of the Devil and the Archangel Michael, fundamental characters in medieval spiritual combat. The Devil appears tempting and tormenting the first parents, while Michael acts as mediator and defender of fallen humanity, anticipating its future redemption.
Eve, as the cause of the Fall, is contrasted with the Virgin Mary, the new Eve and mother of salvation; Adam, the first man, finds his counterpart in Christ, the new Adam who repairs the original fault. These associations, visually reinforced in the miniatures, made it easier for the medieval devotee to grasp theological truths through images.
Other Parallel Testimonies: Medieval Rarities
Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban – fol 88r – image courtesy M. Moleiro Editor
Although scarce, other manuscripts are known to contain illustrations of the Vita Adae et Evae, such as the Lutwin Manuscript preserved in Vienna and the von München Chronicle in Berlin. Both coincide in representing similar scenes—Adam’s penance, Eve’s labour, the appearance of Michael—suggesting a shared visual repertoire that circulated within certain workshops and learned circles.
These coincidences suggest the existence of earlier graphic models, perhaps disseminated through now-lost codices, and confirm the sustained interest in these narratives within specific monastic and aristocratic contexts.
The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban constitutes a highly valuable testimony for the history of medieval iconography. Its miniatures, inspired by apocryphal narratives such as the Vita Adae et Evae, not only enrich our understanding of the devotional practices of the time but also reflect the complex network of textual and visual influences that shaped medieval Christian culture.
Studying these images allows us to recover the memory of a popular and learned religiosity that, far from limiting itself to the canonical text, sought answers to humanity’s great questions in unofficial narratives: the origin of evil, the meaning of suffering, and the hope of salvation.
This article is based on the study by Mary-Bess Halford, whose original text analyses the Vita Adae et Evae and its representation in the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban. All the ideas and arguments developed here are drawn from that research.
In the Middle Ages, the desire to better understand humanity’s first parents led to the reinterpretation and expansion of the chapters of Genesis. The need to fill in the silences of the biblical account encouraged the dissemination of apocryphal texts, which enjoyed great popularity in manuscripts, especially those intended for personal devotion, such as the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban.
Inspired by the Vita Adae et Evae, a narrative focused on the life of Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise, few works of this tradition have survived, leaving many questions unanswered. What became of them? Why did the devil tempt them? And how did they survive in the wild?
This article proposes to delve into this unique work, contextualise its content, and analyse the meaning of its images within medieval Christian visual culture.
The Medieval Apocryphal Tradition: Beyond the Bible
The narrative of the Life of Adam and Eve emerged as a response to the narrative gaps left by Genesis regarding the fate of the first couple after their expulsion from Eden. These apocryphal texts, composed between the 1st and 4th centuries and later translated into vernacular languages, sought to provide details about Adam’s penance, Eve’s suffering, and the first days of humanity in a fallen world, marked by death, pain, and guilt—Adam’s quest for reconciliation with God, Eve’s painful motherhood, and the loss of her son Abel at the hands of her other son Cain, the first murder in human history.
During the Middle Ages, the influence of these narratives was notable in certain monastic and courtly circles. These stories reinforced doctrines of original sin, divine mercy, and future redemption, establishing typological parallels between Adam-Christ and Eve-Mary—devices commonly used in medieval exegesis.
The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban: A Singular Work
Among the testimonies that have survived to this day, the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban (15th century) stands out as an exceptional piece. Not only does it offer the customary prayers for daily use, but it also incorporates a cycle of miniatures illustrating passages from the Vita Adae et Evae, an unusual feature in books of hours.
These images are inserted within the penitential prayers: Adam and Eve appear as the first sinners, but also as the first penitents. The miniatures depict moments such as Eve’s despair after the expulsion, Adam’s forced labour on barren soil, and their struggle against temptation and the devil. The main themes of the battle between good and evil and the hope for humanity’s redemption are thus established.
One of the most striking aspects of this manuscript is the representation of the Devil and the Archangel Michael, fundamental characters in medieval spiritual combat. The Devil appears tempting and tormenting the first parents, while Michael acts as mediator and defender of fallen humanity, anticipating its future redemption.
Eve, as the cause of the Fall, is contrasted with the Virgin Mary, the new Eve and mother of salvation; Adam, the first man, finds his counterpart in Christ, the new Adam who repairs the original fault. These associations, visually reinforced in the miniatures, made it easier for the medieval devotee to grasp theological truths through images.
Other Parallel Testimonies: Medieval Rarities
Although scarce, other manuscripts are known to contain illustrations of the Vita Adae et Evae, such as the Lutwin Manuscript preserved in Vienna and the von München Chronicle in Berlin. Both coincide in representing similar scenes—Adam’s penance, Eve’s labour, the appearance of Michael—suggesting a shared visual repertoire that circulated within certain workshops and learned circles.
These coincidences suggest the existence of earlier graphic models, perhaps disseminated through now-lost codices, and confirm the sustained interest in these narratives within specific monastic and aristocratic contexts.
The Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban constitutes a highly valuable testimony for the history of medieval iconography. Its miniatures, inspired by apocryphal narratives such as the Vita Adae et Evae, not only enrich our understanding of the devotional practices of the time but also reflect the complex network of textual and visual influences that shaped medieval Christian culture.
Studying these images allows us to recover the memory of a popular and learned religiosity that, far from limiting itself to the canonical text, sought answers to humanity’s great questions in unofficial narratives: the origin of evil, the meaning of suffering, and the hope of salvation.
This article is based on the study by Mary-Bess Halford, whose original text analyses the Vita Adae et Evae and its representation in the Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban. All the ideas and arguments developed here are drawn from that research.
Top Image: Book of Hours of Jean de Montauban – fol. 27r – image courtesy M. Moleiro Editor
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