The Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry
1405–1408/1409
Medium
Tempera, gold, and ink on vellum
Dimensions
Single leaf, Overall: 9 3/8 x 6 11/16 in. (23.8 x 17 cm); Double leaf, Overall: 9 3/8 x 13 7/16 in. (23.8 x 34.1 cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Culture
French
Department
The Cloisters
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cloisters Collection, 1954
Accession Number
54.1.1a, b
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created for Jean de France, duc de Berry, between 1405 and 1408/1409, The Belles Heures stands as a masterpiece of medieval manuscript illumination. This luxurious Book of Hours, crafted by the Limbourg Brothers, features vibrant scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary—including the Annunciation, Crucifixion, Agony in the Garden, Adoration of the Magi, and Assumption of the Virgin—rendered in tempera, gold, and ink on vellum. As a personal prayer book, it reflects the devotional practices of French nobility during the early fifteenth century, blending spiritual guidance with artistic splendor. The Limbourg Brothers’ intricate technique brings these sacred moments to life through delicate details and shimmering gold accents, highlighting the medium’s significance in transforming vellum pages into windows of faith and beauty. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters Collection since 1954, this French work exemplifies the refined elegance of International Gothic illumination and offers visitors a rare glimpse into the cultural and artistic world of late medieval Europe.