DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22424#0268
254 DUKE D'AUMALE'S COLLECTION. Lettek IV.
treatment of the trees deserves particular mention. The propor-
tions of the figures are, however, somewhat short. The picture
for December represents a boar-hunt. The extraordinary freedom
of the motives of the dogs and huntsmen attacking the boar, and
the treatment of the forest, and of the castle seen above it,
bespeaks an artist of later date certainly than the Duke de Berry,
but probably earlier than the painter who nourished towards 1460.
To one familiar with old MSS. with miniatures of this kind, it is
no matter of surprise that, if not completed in the time of the
original patron, which was often the case, pictures by later hands
should be found sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end
of the book. For when the text was completely written the
different spaces of it were intrusted to various artists, and then, if
from any reason they did not finish their task, or did not even
begin it, the sheets were after a certain time returned to be bound
up with the rest of the book. But the singular thing here is that,
while the pictures of three of the months are by later hands, the
artistic decorations of the calendar are almost throughout con-
temporary with the text, so that I am tempted to think that the
three original pictures must have been in some way spoiled, and
replaced by others of a later time. All the remaining decoration
of the calendar is also very rich. The ornamentation of the letters
K and L at the beginning of each month, as well as that of the
borders, which throughout the whole MS. display the period of the
Duke de Berry, and which consist in part of the old-fashioned
golden knobs and small leaves, and in part of already finely
coloured leaf-work, show great pomp of colour and much elegance.
In the writing of the text of the calendar, gold, crimson, and azure
are alone used. At the end of the calendar, leaf 14b, is a large
mandorla, with two youthful and very delicately coloured male
figures back to back, so that the one is seen quite in front, the
other quite from behind, and therefore but little visible. On the
front figure are the indications of several constellations. The
ground is of a delicate blue, with little golden clouds. Around,
in twelve azure margins, are the twelve signs of the zodiac.
Below are Sagittarius, Gemini, and Aquarius, small figures, with
fine heads, free and graceful motives, and in excellent drawing.
In this picture a third painter, coeval with the Duke de Berry,
appears for the first time, of a decidedly idealistic tendency, and
treatment of the trees deserves particular mention. The propor-
tions of the figures are, however, somewhat short. The picture
for December represents a boar-hunt. The extraordinary freedom
of the motives of the dogs and huntsmen attacking the boar, and
the treatment of the forest, and of the castle seen above it,
bespeaks an artist of later date certainly than the Duke de Berry,
but probably earlier than the painter who nourished towards 1460.
To one familiar with old MSS. with miniatures of this kind, it is
no matter of surprise that, if not completed in the time of the
original patron, which was often the case, pictures by later hands
should be found sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end
of the book. For when the text was completely written the
different spaces of it were intrusted to various artists, and then, if
from any reason they did not finish their task, or did not even
begin it, the sheets were after a certain time returned to be bound
up with the rest of the book. But the singular thing here is that,
while the pictures of three of the months are by later hands, the
artistic decorations of the calendar are almost throughout con-
temporary with the text, so that I am tempted to think that the
three original pictures must have been in some way spoiled, and
replaced by others of a later time. All the remaining decoration
of the calendar is also very rich. The ornamentation of the letters
K and L at the beginning of each month, as well as that of the
borders, which throughout the whole MS. display the period of the
Duke de Berry, and which consist in part of the old-fashioned
golden knobs and small leaves, and in part of already finely
coloured leaf-work, show great pomp of colour and much elegance.
In the writing of the text of the calendar, gold, crimson, and azure
are alone used. At the end of the calendar, leaf 14b, is a large
mandorla, with two youthful and very delicately coloured male
figures back to back, so that the one is seen quite in front, the
other quite from behind, and therefore but little visible. On the
front figure are the indications of several constellations. The
ground is of a delicate blue, with little golden clouds. Around,
in twelve azure margins, are the twelve signs of the zodiac.
Below are Sagittarius, Gemini, and Aquarius, small figures, with
fine heads, free and graceful motives, and in excellent drawing.
In this picture a third painter, coeval with the Duke de Berry,
appears for the first time, of a decidedly idealistic tendency, and