AUTHOR: LIMBOURG BROTHERS

LANGUAGE: FRENCH

DATE: 1412-1416 AD

PAGE #: 112

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS:

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE TRES RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY IS THE MOST FAMOUS AND POSSIBLY THE BEST SURVIVING EXAMPLE OF FRENCH GOTHIC MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION, SHOWING THE LATE INTERNATIONAL GOTHIC PHASE OF THE STYLE. IT US A BOOK OF HOURS, A COLLECTION OF PRAYERS TO BE SAID AT THE CANONICAL HOURS. IT WAS CREATED BETWEEN 1412 AND 1416 FOR THE EXTRAVAGANT ROYAL BIBLIOPHILE AND PATRON JOHN, DUKE OF BERRY, BY THE LIMBOURG BROTHERS. WHEN THE THREE PAINTERS AND THEIR SPONSOR DIED IN 1416, POSSIBLY THE VICTIMS OF THE PLAGUE, THE MANUSCRIPT WAS LEFT UNFINISHED. IT WAS FURTHER EMBELLISHED IN THE 1440’S BY AN ANONYMOUS PAINTER WHO MANY ART HISTORIANS BELIEVE WAS BARTHELEMY D’EYCK. IN 1485-1489 IT WAS BROUGHT TO ITS PRESENT STATE BY THE PAINTER JEAN COLOMBE ON BEHALF OF THE DUKE OF SAVOY. ACQUIRED BY THE DUC D’AUMALE IN 1856, THE BOOK IS NOW IN THE MUSEE CONDE IN CHANTILLY FRANCE.

THE DESIGN OF THE BOOK, WHICH IS LONG AND COMPLEX, HAS UNDERGONE MANY CHANGES AND REVERSALS. MANY ARTISTS CONTRIBUTED TO ITS MINIATURES, CALLIGRAPHY, INITIALS, AND MARGINAL DECORATIONS, BUT DETERMINING THEIR PRECISE NUMBER AND IDENTITY REMAINS A MATTER OF DEBATE. PAINTED LARGELY BY ARTISTS FROM THE LOW COUNTRIES, OFTEN USING RARE AND COSTLY PIGMENTS AND GOLD, AND WITH AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF ILLUSTRATIONS, THE BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST LAVISH LATE MEDIEVAL ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.