alb3680521

JEAN PUCELLE. The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, Queen of France

The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, Queen of France. Artist: Jean Pucelle (French, active Paris, 1319-34). Culture: French. Dimensions: single folio: 3 5/8 x 2 7/16 in. (9.2 x 6.2 cm)
Overall (with binding): 3 7/8 x 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 in. (9.9 x 7.2 x 3.8 cm). Date: ca. 1324-28.
At first glance, this tiny prayer book, with not a trace of gold, might seem an unlikely possession for a queen of France. But it is a work of exceptional artistry: the figures are rendered in delicate grisaille (shades of gray), giving them an amazingly sculptural quality, and are accented with rich color and touches of lilac and turquoise. The 209 folios include twenty-five full-page paintings with paired images from the Infancy and Passion of Christ and scenes of the life of Saint Louis, the queen's ancestor. In the margins, close to 700 illustrations depict the bishops, beggars, street dancers, maidens, and musicians that peopled the streets of medieval Paris, as well as apes, rabbits, dogs, and creatures of sheer fantasy. The testament of Jeanne d'Evreux identifies this prayer book, left to King Charles V, as the one "that Pucelle illuminated." At Charles's death, the book entered the collection of another famous bibliophile, his brother Jean, duc de Berry, patron of The Cloisters' Belles Heures.

Share
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Copy link
Email

Add to another lightbox

Do you already have an account? Sign in

You do not have an account? Register

Buy this image. Select the use:

Author: JEAN PUCELLE (active 1319-34)

Title: The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, Queen of France

Caption: The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux, Queen of France. Artist: Jean Pucelle (French, active Paris, 1319-34). Culture: French. Dimensions: single folio: 3 5/8 x 2 7/16 in. (9.2 x 6.2 cm) Overall (with binding): 3 7/8 x 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 in. (9.9 x 7.2 x 3.8 cm). Date: ca. 1324-28. At first glance, this tiny prayer book, with not a trace of gold, might seem an unlikely possession for a queen of France. But it is a work of exceptional artistry: the figures are rendered in delicate grisaille (shades of gray), giving them an amazingly sculptural quality, and are accented with rich color and touches of lilac and turquoise. The 209 folios include twenty-five full-page paintings with paired images from the Infancy and Passion of Christ and scenes of the life of Saint Louis, the queen's ancestor. In the margins, close to 700 illustrations depict the bishops, beggars, street dancers, maidens, and musicians that peopled the streets of medieval Paris, as well as apes, rabbits, dogs, and creatures of sheer fantasy. The testament of Jeanne d'Evreux identifies this prayer book, left to King Charles V, as the one "that Pucelle illuminated." At Charles's death, the book entered the collection of another famous bibliophile, his brother Jean, duc de Berry, patron of The Cloisters' Belles Heures.

Technique/material: Grisaille, tempera, and ink on vellum

Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

Credit: Album

Warning: The use of this Visual Content may require additional permissions. In the event that the work depicted is not in the public domain in the country where the licence is exploited, the rights of the visual artist or his/her successors in title must be obtained and cleared in accordance with applicable law.

Releases: ? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?

Image size: 3673 × 3087 px | 32.4 MB

Print size: 31.1 × 26.1 cm | 1446.1 × 1215.4 in (300 dpi)

Keywords: ARTFORM: GRISAILLE • BOOKS • CARTOUCHE • CLOISTERS, THE • EUROPE • FRANCE • GRISAILLE • GRISAILLE, TEMPERA, AND INK ON VELLUM • ILLUMINATIONS • INK • JEAN PUCELLE • MADE IN PARIS • MANUSCRIPTS AND ILLUMINATIONS • MANUSCRIPTS • METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA • PAINTINGS • PARCHMENT • PARIS • PULLEY • ROLL • SCROLL • TEMPERA • TEMPERA, EGG-TEMPERA • TEMPLE • VELLUM