The Art of Illumination

Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, 1405–1408/9. Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg (Franco-Netherlandish, active in France by 1399–1416). French; Made in Paris. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum; 9 3/8 x 6 5/8 in. (23.8 x 16.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.1).

The Story of Saint Jerome
The Sick Attending the Funeral of Saint Jerome, Folio 189v

Hermit monks emerge from their caves as the funeral procession of Jerome passes by, while the maimed and sick seek healing from the holy corpse. Chanting clerics emerge from the monastery as church bells chime above. Two of the beseeching figures are each missing a foot and leaning on staffs, while a third drags himself along by his hands. Two pallbearers are seen on the near side of the bier; two more on the far side can be inferred from the detail of a pink hat.