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The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the "Belles Heures" of Jean de France, Duc de Berry (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
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| List Price: | $65.00 |
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Product Description
One of the most lavishly illustrated codices of the Middle Ages, the Belles Heures (1405–1408/9) is the only manuscript executed in its entirety by the famed Limbourg brothers. Commissioned by its magisterial patron, Jean de France, duc de Berry, this richly illuminated Book of Hours, intended for private devotion and now housed in The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum, counted among the duke’s large collection of prized possessions. The luminous scenes depicting the legends of the saints, the Hours of the Virgin, and the like, many with elaborately designed borders, exemplify the transcendent splendor of the Limbourg brothers’ talents.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #132785 in Books
- Published on: 2009-01-06
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 388 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Timothy Bates Husband is Curator, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Customer Reviews
A marvelous book on a marvelous book
The catalogue for an exhibition held at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Met in NYC, this is an erudite and wonderfully illustrated book on one of the treasures of Western art. The text is very complete, with an in-depth study of the meaning of the manuscript, a description of the decoration of the pages, a thorough biography of the Limbourg Brothers and of the Duc de Berry, their biggest patron, and a study of their sources and influences. The illustrations are close to perfect, always in color and often full-page, and give an invaluable insight into a universal masterpiece.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in the art of illumination.
magisterial illuminated manuscript analysed
This fabulous book, an examination of the earlier masterpiece of the Limbourg Brothers, should be an obligatory purchase for anyone with an interest in illuminated manuscripts. It is astonishing to consider that the three brothers were barely out of their teens when they produced this magnificent Book of Hours between 1405-9. How tragic to realise that they all died in 1416, probably stricken by the plague.
All the 223 folios are excellently reproduced in color. Many of the pages are printed in full size; the remainder are seen without their decorative borders. All the illustrations are described and there is some translation of the text. There are interesting biographical articles on the Limbourg Brothers and their patron the duc de Berry. Additionally, there is more detailed discussion of the Belles Heures.
Given the quality of this Metropolitan Museum publication, I regard this book as a bargain given its asking price. I also suggest that those interested in this subject investigate the catalogue entitled The Limbourg Brothers, Nijmengen Masters at the French Court.
Gorgeous Book
This book was a gift and was very well recieved. It has a lot of bacground info on the original book and the english translation (the orignal is in Latin).
