Jean de Berry was the third son of King John the Good (of France). His position as third son made his asscension to the thrown highly unlikely, and was probably a main cause of his becoming an incredible patron of the arts. He commissioned architecture, stained glass and books of hours (devotional books, made on commission, for the elite to utilize during their daily prayers). The Tres Riches Heures, a book of hours created by the Limbourg brothers for Jean was his seventh (and last) commissioned book of hours. The Limbourg Brothers were considered part of the court and were quite friendly with Jean de Berry. The Tres Riches Heures was the second book of hours they created for Jean, and it is one of the greatest examples of illuminated manuscripts and Medieval lifestyle. The impeccable details of the book are teeming with portrayals of the extreme contrasts in the lives of the wealthy and that of the poor in Medieval Europe.
In the pages for January and February (above), the stark contrast between the lives of the nobility and that of the peasants is apparent. In January, a host of immaculately dressed figures swarm around a table overflowing with feast - even the pets are feeding well at this banquet. In February, we see peasants working hard and struggling to keep warm in the snowy scene. Three scantily dressed figures warm themselves by the fire - one is even lifting up his dress to reveal his genitals (suggesting a lack of decency in the lower class). This lack of decency is seen again in the brothers' painting for August (below). The court falconry party is parading across the page while a group of peasants are skinny dipping in the background. And even further in the distance we see Jean de Berry's Chateau d'Étampes.
Jean and all three of the Limbourg brothers died in 1416, most likely of the Plague, leaving the book unfinished. Following their deaths, the Tres Riches Heures was worked on by Barthélemy d'Eyck and then completed later by by Jean Colombe.
References:
Benton, Janetta Rebould. Art of the Middle Ages. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2002.
Longnon, Jean. Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry. New York, George Braziller, Inc. 1969.
Pognon, Edmond. Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry: 15th Century Manuscript. New York: Crescent Books, 1979.
Schachrel, Lillian. Tres Riches Heures: Behind the Gothic Masterpiece. Munich: Prestel Books, 1997.
Art:
Musée Condé, Chantilly, France
Fascinating pieces, and very interesting commentary. How do you choose which paintings on which to place your focus??
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