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 Flight into Egypt, Folio 63r

This tender yet monumental scene, while traditional, contains enthralling details, such as the Virgin’s almost completely hidden face, cheek to cheek with the Child, Joseph’s concerned expression as he gazes back, and the footprints of the travelers marked in the sandy road. As the Son of God passes, the false golden idols of paganism fall from their columned perch. Elements of the scene draw upon Netherlandish models. Seraphs in medallions mark the corners of the border.