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).

Saints Paul and Anthony Cycle
The Death of Saint Anthony, Folio 194v

In an interior viewed through a double arcade, the body of the saint is laid out on a board and trestles while bearded monks pray from colorful tomes. The room is lit with oil lamps mounted on iron brackets, and a brazier and liturgical vessel are on the floor in the foreground.