No.16

LES TRES RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY

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Early in the 15th century in France, the very wealthy Duc de Berry, a brother of King Charles V, commissioned three painters, the brothers Limbourg, to create illustrations for a Book of Hours. What they produced has become known as “the king of illuminated manuscripts.”

The style of the paintings is so different from what we are used to today, that I decided to show all the illustrations from the calendar section of the work. In the Middle Ages there was a custom to decorate calendars by showing the different occupations or pastimes of each month, and that’s what the Limbourg brothers did.

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JANUARY

Exchanging gifts on Twelfth Night. The Duc de Berry is seated on the right, in blue

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FEBRUARY

Peasants take a break, while a man with his donkey goes off to the town to sell his wares

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MARCH

Ploughing and planting. The castle is one of the Duc’s residences, the Château de Lusignan

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APRIL

Celebrating the betrothal of a young couple. In the background is Dourdon, another of the Duc’s residences

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MAY

May Day, celebrating the arrival of spring

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JUNE

Peasants working in the fields. Behind them is the Palais de la Cité

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JULY

Peasants at work, with the Château du Clain at Poitiers in the background

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AUGUST

Going hawking. The building is the Château d’Etampes

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SEPTEMBER

Harvesting grapes in front of the Château de Saumur

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OCTOBER

Tilling and sowing. The building is the Louvre

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NOVEMBER

A peasant with his pigs

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DECEMBER

A boar has been caught and seized on by the dogs. In the distance is the Château de Vincennes

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For more information about the medieval illuminated manuscripts known as the books of hours, log on to -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_hours

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