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).

Hours of the Virgin
The Adoration of the Magi, Folio 54v

The three kings represent the three ages of man, and the eldest among them has removed his crown and placed it on the ground. The deep lapis blue of the Virgin’s robe encircles the Christ Child, anchoring Him as the focal point of the composition. The procession of the magi is suggested by the horses at the right.