Très belles Heures de Notre-Dame History of Illuminated Manuscripts – Presentation a. a. 2016-17 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 1 A Troubled History • Begun in 1380/90 for Jean de Berry, the patron of many precious Book of Hours (Petites Heures, Grand Heures, Très Riches Heures…); illuminated first by French painters • «Low date» of 1404 (Durrieu, Boespflug, König): death of Duke Philip the Bold registered in the calendar; inventory of 1402 • One big volume or two complementary books? (Châtelet, Smeyers) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 2 • Given unfinished to Robinet d’Estampes, Berry’s guardian of jewels, before 1413, «in exchange for another book» • D’Estampes splits the book in two parts: the first (book of hours, known as Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame) passes through his heirs (Marguerite de Beauviller, DuplessisChâtillon and Saint-Maurice families) to the Rotschilds by XIX century; from 1956 in the Bibliotèque Nationale (Ms Nouv. Acq. Lat. 3093) • The second one (psalter/«missal») bought by John of BavaryHainaut, Bishop of Liège and (from 1420) Count of Holland, who engages Flemish artists to complete the decoration. Handled to his wife Elisabeth of Görlitz, then to the treasurer Frank von Borselen until 1441. • Final stage of book decoration, commissioned by Borselen himself, or by Rupert IV of Virneburg, or by Philip the Good. Then, no more notices until 1713 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 3 Ore di Torino and Ore di Milano • 1713: the «Flemish part» reappears in Italy, in possession of the Savoia family, itself split in two: – The psalter part (Ore di Torino) was later donated to the Turin Royal Library (K. IV. 29) and was destroyed in a fire in 1904. Fortunately, it had been already studied by Count Durrieu and Georges Hulin de Loo (1901-03), so b/w photographs survive – The «missal» part (Ore di Milano), given to the Count of Agliè, acquired by Gian Giacomo Trivulzio in Milan (beginning of XIX century), and finally donated to the Turin Royal Library in 1935 (Ore di Torino-Milano, Ms. Inv. n° 47) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 4 Format and Contents • Heures de N-D: in quarto, binding in Moroccan red leather (first half of XVIII century), with Duplessis-Châtillon coat-of-arms • Ore di Torino: 28x19 cm, Moroccan red leather (XVII-XVIII century, France or Savoia) • Ore di Milano: 26,4x20,3 cm, green velvet (XIX century), gilded decorations and 3 ex-libris of the Agliè library Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 5 • Before the fire, 344 folios out of c. 360: 126 in Paris, 91 in Turin, 127 in Milan; only 258 survive today • About 280 miniatures on some 100 leaves: the biggest Book of Hours for Jean de Berry and one of the biggest in the world • French part largely original (6 miniatures lost) • Flemish-Italian part rearranged already in XV century in the order of the texts, to create a sort of psalter and a pseudomissal, with the insertion of a Flemish calendar at the beginning of Turin Hours (now destroyed) by its new owners • In the process, 6 folios were cut; 4 of them, with 5 miniatures, are since 1896 in the Louvre Cabinet of Drawings and Prints (RF 2022-2025, «Louvre leaves»). One leaf was purchased by Getty Museum in 2000 (ms. 67) from a Belgian private collection. Another leaf was stolen in 1725 from Turin Hours; a ninth leaf known only in a lithography (1849) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 6 The Page and the Borders • Almost always, three miniatures on an illuminated leaf: the main scene, usually painted by the master; the initial and the lower margin (basde-page), by his workshop • Text written as first; borders framed with rods and branches of thorny vine (Dornblatt or Vigne), with figures (angels, birds, seraphim). Blue, pink, rust pigments • Some portraits of the patrons or people related to them Master of the Parament of Narbonne, Morning of the Virgin: The Annunciation; the Virgin dwelling; the Wedding of the Virgin, HdND, f. 7v (with portrait of Marguerite de Beauviller or Jean de Boulogne, Jean de Berry’s second wife) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 7 • Flemish miniatures are bordered by the same friezes, but usually without All the borders were made figures in France, but not all of them were finished. • Towards a new conception of space and leaf: an animated microcosms with no more borders; no more «profane illusion» and «selfconscious representative plays», no more everyday objects and «shocking vitality», but trompe-l’oeil, illusionism (Camille, Image on the Edge) Jan van Eyck or Hand H, Mass of the Holy Cross: Invention and Test of the Holy Cross; Christ crucified, OdM, f. 118 8 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 • Paris volume a Book of Hours: – Hours of the Virgin – Hours of the Holy Spirit (exceptional) – Hours of the Passion of Christ (very uncommon, usually there are the Hours of the Cross) – Hours of the Dead with penitential Psalms • Turin volume an innovative Psalter: – Prayers for laymen, to be recited during the Mass – Only two Offices: the Lamentation of the Virgin (very uncommon), the Saints Julian and Martha – Various prayers to different saints Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 9 • Milan volume a series of Masses, exceptional for a book of this kind: – A missal for feast days, which «blends» the temporal cycle (16 Masses, from Advent to Corpus Domini) and the sanctoral (9, from St. John the Baptist to December, with saints venerated by Jean De Berry) – A number of votive Masses carefully selected and inserted in this «system» – No common prayers; no Common or Office of Saints; no Canon Missae • An exceptional case of «lay missal» centered upon the «mysteries» of Christ’s life Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 10 The Authors and the «Campaigns» • Manuscript brutally divided: French part more unified and concluded according to original plan; Italian part sold unfinished more “hands”, but strictly related • At least ten different painters, in a period of 50/60 years (very exceptional) • Problems of attribution: 1/4 of miniatures destroyed; uncertainty about dates; “hands” often hard to distinguish. First studies: Paul Durrieu and Georges Hulin de Loo (190103), who separates a series of “Hands”, from “Hand A” to “Hand K” • The “Eyckian question” Hands F-K from the same Flemish workshop: Van Eyck’s one or an imitator’s? • Progressive discoveries helped to conjecture the artists involved, the times of realization and the presence of Van Eyck Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 11 The Master of the Parament of Narbonne (A) • Main painter of the French phase of decoration (at least 1380/90-1410 c.) • 1380/90-1400 or 1404-07/08 • Étienne Lannelier or Jean d’Orléans (fl. 1356-1407), royal painter, who worked also on great surfaces • Most of French leaves; the most important scenes on the Italian part • Interrupted by his own death? Drawings reprised/completed by Flemish artists? Trinity Mass: Glory of the Trinity; Two scenes from a Mass, Odm, f. 87. On the border: Jean de Berry’s coat-of-arms and a King ( was the Book originally conceived for a King? The character does not look like Jean de Berry) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 12 • “Narrative” art, “easel art”: miniatures bordered as paintings, monumental and richly draped characters. • Space built “around” the figures, containing and embracing them • XIV-century-style, maybe intentionally (De Berry was an estimator of “ancient style”) • All the lower panels (Bas-de-page) executed by an assistant (Hand A2), identified by Châtelet as the Master of Saint-Michel • Lower quality, but strictly related to his master Vespers of the Dead: Funerals in a church; Two scholars; Funeral procession, HdND, f. 58v. On the upper border: an owl (funeral bird); on the catafalque: Jean de Berry coats-of-arms (painted later on the wood) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 13 Mass of the Virgin: The Virgin suckling a devout God in Majesty; Angels (retouched later by an (probably Martin Gouge, in touch with De Berry); Eyckian hand?), Louvre, RF 2022 musician angels; Christ greeted by a woman, OdM, f. 120. Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 14 Master/Group of St. John the Baptist (B/C) • A “second campaign” for De Berry (1404-05) or a continuation of the interrupted work (1407/08-1410)? • From lower Rhine; William & Hermann Maelwael (late XIVearly XV century)? • Less plastic drawing, slender and moving figures, round and expressive faces. Colours more refined, more familiar and realistic taste; open-air scenes • Completes some miniatures in the French part; works on the Turin and Milan Hours Prayer to the Saint Martyrs: Scene of Martyrdom; Execution of a Monk; Massacre of the Innocents. Louvre, RF 2023r Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 15 • Marian prayer: Virgin and Child in throne with Jean de Berry praying. OdT, f. 78v (destroyed). Portrait of the patron as an old man Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 16 Master of the Holy Spirit (D) • Jacques Daliwe? Paul of Limburg? (Châtelet) • Beginning of XV century or before 1409 • Another “easel painter”, completes the Hours of the Passion and of the Holy Spirit in the Très Belles Heures • Less divine presence; more of its effects (new tendency of genre painting) First Hour of the Holy Spirit: Resurrection of the Deads, HdND, f. 91 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 17 The Limburg brothers (E) • All of them? Only Jean? (Châtelet) • C. 1409-10 (or before 1413) • The first radical innovation of colors and style, even if we are still close to monumental and gothic art of previous masters; red seraphim on the border • Gotico internazionale • Last miniatures of Paris volume (prayers to the Trinity and to the Choir of Angels) Prayer to the Choir of Angels: Adoration of God; St. Jerome; The hermits in Thebe’s desert, HdND, f. 126v Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 18 “Hand G”: the “Eyckian Question” • Flemish “phase”: a workshop of painters, from Netherlands or Flanders, 1410/20-1450 c., for the Hainauts of Bavary and Holland • Typological or spatial link between miniatures on the same leaf (the two Testaments; consequent scenes; shared space), typically Flemish (influence of Speculum H. Salvationis, Biblia pauperum…) • New conception of space (not an accessory, but a mean for narration) and of figures in space. “Narrative” art, no more “representative”; realist and virtuosic instead of “compositional” • No more golden leaf; new pigments and resins; Durrieu and De Loo first notice these and link them to Van Eyck Mass of the Baptist’s Nativity: Birth of St. John the Baptist; Baptism of Christ, OdM, f. 93v Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 19 • Three tendencies among critics: – The “Hand G” is Jan van Eyck, who works in 142225 c., when he was Varlet de chambre for the Hainauts (the prevalent one: Sterling, Belting, Châtelet, Eichberger, Van Buren, Marrow) – The “Hand G” is Jan van Eyck or a painter near him, who works after 1430-1441 (Schmidt, Boespflug/König) – Jan van Eyck never worked for the Hainauts, because they never ruled on Holland; all Flemish miniatures (Hands F to K) executed in Bruges by Eyckian painters, 1446-52 or after 1441 (common in 50s-70s; Delassiè, Lyna, Carol Krinsky in 2014) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 20 The different arguments “High” date: “Low” date: • Prosecution on the path • There’s not a gradual “transition” between the traced by the Limburgs “young” and the “mature” • Influenced by his trip to Van Eyck: in little works he Italy (1425-26, Van Buren) is always more detailed • Works of 1432-41 than in bigger ones monumental; the precious and detailed miniatures • More analogies with his later works, from 1435 c. show continuity with his first works. Common conclusions: • “Hand G” is clearly a Master (he executes only a few leaves himself) • Jan van Eyck had the abilities to illuminate (his painted works clearly show this) Continuous study on illusionistic space, in all Flemish miniatures • Miniatures influencing/influenced by Eyckian paintings • Influence on 3 centuries of Flemish 21 painting (landscape, “genre”) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 • Prayer of a Prince: Prayer on a Beach with Knights, OdT, f. 59v (destroyed; the return of John of Bavary from Poke, in England, 1417? Peace of Woudrichem with Jacqueline of Bavary, 1419?) Stigmata of Saint Francis, c. 1428-32, Turin, Sabauda Gallery 22 Requiem Mass: Funerals in a church, OdM, f. 116 Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele, 1434-36, Bruges, Groeningenmuseum Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 23 Baptism of Christ, Odm, f. 93v, Bas-de-page Follower of Van Eyck, Saint Christopher, c. 1460-70, Philadelphia, Museum of Art Madonna of Chancellor Rolin, 1435, Paris, Louvre 24 The “narrative” Van Eyck (closer to his miniatures): Crucifixion from the New York Diptych, c. 1430-40, Metropolitan Museum; Madonna in the Church, c. 1438-40 or 1426-28, Berlin, Gemäldegalerie The “monumental” Van Eyck (later works): Lucca Madonna, 1436, Frankfurt, Städelsches Kunstinstitut; Saint Barbara, 1437, Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts; Madonna at the Fountain, 1439, Antwerp, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 25 “Hand H”: Hubert van Eyck? • C. 1416 or later (Châtelet); contemporary to G? • Hubert van Eyck? Jean Coene? (Châtelet) An Italian-Flemish? (Van Buren) • Different artists under one “Hand” (Jan, Barthélemy d’Eyck, M. of Chevrot, M. of Covarrubias)? • Illuminates only a few leaves a “supervisor”, as Jan? • Very close to Van Eyck, but also very independent already trained before he met Jan? Mass of the Good Friday: Crucifixion, OdM, f. 48v Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 26 Circulation of Eyckian models: Turin Crucifixion, Venice Crucifixion (from a follower of Jan or Hubert Van Eyck c. 1440-50, Ca’ d’Oro), Berlin Crucifixion (from a follower of Jan, c. 1435, Gemäldegalerie) Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 27 Hand H, Mass of the Good Tuesday: Agony in the Garden, OdM, f. 30v. Both the miniature and the Stigmata show monumental figures and a distant landscape in the background Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 28 Master of the Test of the Holy Cross (F3) Mass of Palm Sunday: Eliseo meets his brothers, OdM, f. 20v • Master of Bedford atelier; Master of Zweder van Culemborg? (Châtelet) • 1416 c. or after 1432, works only in lower scenes • “Popular” style, with clumsy imitation of Eyckian landscape and atmosphere effects. Maybe from Netherlands, far from Van Eyck, near the following master Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 29 Chevrot/Augustinus Master (I/J) Three Hermits near a Forest, RF 2023v, Basde-page • Young Barthélemy d’Eyck? • 1437-40 c. (He has seen the Ghent altarpiece, 1432) • A few main scenes (destroyed); initials and Bas-de-pages • Volumes and light skillfully rendered; accurate landscapes, even if not too deep Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 30 Folpard van Amerongen/Llangattok Master (K) • Works in the last “phase”, for the unknown last patron (often portrayed), c. 1446 • Completes the missing parts, particularly in Turin hours, with his Group of painters (Master of the Blessed,…) • More summary, with static “typological” figures, but still relying on Van Eyck (Ghent) Prayer after the Communion: Double Intercession; Cleansing of the Leper; Solomon and the Queen of Saba, RF 2025 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 31 Conclusion: a Unique (and Discussed) Book Large and ambitious project Unusual kind of Book, for different lay prayers Novelties or rarities in the iconography Coherent whole in spite of different patrons, owners and places where the decoration took place • From old to a “new” art, passing through Gotico internazionale • Dynamics inside the workshop; circulation of ideas between its different members • Jan Van Eyck, illuminator and painter • • • • Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 32 Bibliography • AA. VV., Jan van Eyck. Opere a confronto, catalogue of the exhibition in Turin, Sabauda Gallery. Umberto Allemandi & C., 1997 • Boespflug François, König Eberhard, Le bellissime ore, Genoa, Marietti, 1998 • Camille Michael, Image on the Edge. The Margins of Medieval Art, London, Reaktion Books, 1992 • Châtelet Albert, Jean van Eyck enlumineur, Strasbourg, Presses universitaires, 1993 • Marrow James H., Pictorial Invention in Netherlandish Manuscript Illumination of the Late Middle Ages. The Play of Illusion and Meaning, Leuven, Peeters, 2005 Alessandro Biella 14 dicembre 2016 33