The Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry

by Jean Longnon, Raymond Cazelles, Musee Conde Chantilly

Cited as 'one of the miracles of art history' by Kenneth Clark, the Tres Riches Heures is the most luxurious and most famous of such books and marks the zenith of manuscript illumination in late medieval Europe. Commissioned by the influential patron, Jean de Berry, in the early years of the fifteenth century, this masterpiece was executed by the three Limbourg brothers, the greatest miniaturists of the time. The manuscript opens with a calendar illustrating scenes of daily life during the twelve months and is followed by the prayers of offices celebrated at different times of the day. These texts are often accompanied by miniatures, in which the artists' imaginative and decorative genius are fully revealed. The personal approach of the Limbourgs to nature, human activity, and beauty represents the transition from medieval attitudes to those of the Renaissance. Their elegant images, in fact, were to influence the course of painting in France and all of northern Europe. This edition reproduces each of the miniatures in the Tres Riches Heures in full color and to exact scale. With 139 color plates.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, France, Medieval History, History, 15th Century

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1440

Reviews

[Justyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very lavishly published book about the Tres Riches Heures, one of the most beautiful manunsctipts of the late Middle Ages. The book is divided on two parts. The first contains fully-sized, enlarged, good quality reproductions of the pages of the manuscript with short descriptions, the second, the text in which the authors gathered essays on the history of this prayerbook, its painters, the Limbourg Brothers and their patron, Jean, duke of Berry, his art collection, and the very precise description of the manuscript with full bibliography. Must-read for the fans of Thes Riches Heures, the Limbourg Brothers or Jean de Berry.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

just picked this up at the library yesterday & i'm going to have to add it to my collection. a treasure trove of high medieval art, the figures are rendered with subtlety & intimacy, as well as unparalleled detail. tres riches heures also provides insights into daily medieval life of both peasants & lords.

[Barbra Quade]

This book is so beautiful you can lose yourself in it. This is a work of love and of a lifetime.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book - there is just so much to look at in the pictures, a complete joy and a delight .......
One word of warning - the quotes are all taken from the Douai version of the bible. Quite a number of the reference numbers aren’t the same as, for example, the King James version of the bible - or more modern translations....

[Dustin Kick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read almost none of the latin, but the expositional writing tells a very interesting history tale, and the art and the history of art contained in it is fascinating and beautiful.

[Alenka of Bohemia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning presentation of a remarkable book. Besides beautifully drawn biblical stories some of the plates show life in medieval times, almost like a time capsule.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning facsimile edition of the Book of Hours