The art of illumination

Timothy Husband

"One of the most lavishly illustrated codices of the Middle Ages, the Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry (ca. 1405-1408/9), is the only manuscript with miniatures executed entirely by the famed Limbourg brothers. Commissioned by its royal patron, this richly illuminated Book of Hours, intended for private devotion and now housed in The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, belonged to the duke's large collection of prized possessions" "In this volume, the Limbourgs provided the customary components of a Book of Hours, including readings from the Gospels and prayers to the Virgin. The Belles Heures, however, was elevated to unprecedented heights by the addition of seven "picture book" insertions. These pages provided a framework for developing the Limbourgs' figural style, refining their palette, experimenting with light and surface values, and devising coherent...

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