St. Hubert Worshiping the Miraculous Stag
Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne
Illuminated by Jean Poyer
The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1905
St. Hubert Worshiping the Miraculous Stag (fol. 29, right)
Hubert, an eighth-century nobleman, went hunting on Good Friday instead of going to church and had an immediate conversion when a shining crucifix appeared between a stag's antlers.
The stag, an animal that continually sheds and grows its antlers, often appears in art as a symbol of creation and renewal, themes exemplified by Christ.
The lush forest setting and wide range of animals depicted in this miniature reveal Poyer's artistic mastery of the natural world.
St. Hubert's cult in the Middle Ages was based on the protection or cure he provided from rabies for both humans and dogs used in the chase.