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Jean Pucelle (active ca. 1320–1324)
Saint Louis Feeding the Sick from The Book of Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux
Paris, France; 1324–28
3 1/2 x 2 5/8 in. (8.9 x 6.2 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Cloisters Collection, 1954 (54.1.2)
This exquisite and lavishly illustrated book contains not even a hint of gold, and color appears in it only in a limited way. Its figures, rather, are predominately rendered in grisaille and set within monochrome, penwork frames, with color selectively employed to provide accents or as a backdrop against which figures are placed. Its drawing-like effects made much of an artist’s skills, highlighting his ability to create mesmerizing, illusionistic effects.
See the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History for more images from The Book of Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux.