The Bowet Book of Hours was made in Bruges around 1410-1420. Its realist style and innovative iconography provide an important link between painting in the pre-Eyckian period and the great revival of Flemish painting initiated by the van Eyck brothers, as well as announcing the break with the international mannerist style currently in vogue in Europe. The production of pre-Eyckian manuscripts was a decisive element in the rise of Bruges towards the golden age it experienced under the Flemish primitive artists.

The King Baudouin Foundation could buy the manuscript at an auction sale, organised by Christie's. The rarity of this type of manuscript, made in Bruges in the early 15th century, and the outstanding quality of its execution mean that it is undeniably part of our heritage. The Bowet Book of Hours is now being returned to its place of origin and will become part of the permanent collection of the Groeninge Museum in Bruges.