The Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duke Berry

A splendid new reproduction of the most luxurious and most famous example of medieval illumination. Commissioned by Jean, Duke of Berry, in the early years of the fifteenth century, this devotional volume is among the greatest books of hours ever produced—and certainly the most important manuscript to survive the Middle Ages. Exuberant, detailed, and impossibly lavish, it encapsulates the most exquisite medieval calendar, which has become famous in its own right as a crown jewel of medieval art. Painstakingly made by hand on 206 sheets of the finest calfskin by three Flemish artists—the Limbourg brothers Paul, Johan, and Herman—this book of hours is unrivaled as a monument to the art of making books prior to the printing press. The keen interest in the natural world and the naturalistic means of representing it in the striking illuminations foreshadow the work of the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance. Recently restored at the Louvre’s state-of-the-art facilities, the manuscript was explored in depth using the best imaging techniques and allowing hundreds of details to be analyzed. This volume is based on the finest reproductions possible, along with expert text that provides an entirely new and profound understanding of the artists’ methods and their sublime illuminations.