Good Times - The 'Très Riches Heures'

 The 'Très Riches Heures' is one of the most spectacular illuminated manuscripts ever created. Commissioned by the Duc du Berry and created some time around 1411 by the Limbourg Brothers - Herman, Paul and Jean - it could even be the most famous manuscript in the world. Somehow, I have always known about it, but I never thought I would ever see it - let alone visit an exhibition which celebrates not only its production, but also the man who owned it. 

What's more, this exhibition does something remarkable that could well be unique. The manuscript is currently undergoing conservation, and the separate leaves have been removed from the bindings. Usually, when seeing an important manuscript in an exhibition, you can only see one spread - the back of one leaf, and the front of another. But in this instance, the most famous folios are exhibited separately. They represent the twelve months of the year, and include scenes depicting either agricultural work or scenes of courtly life, often with a castle or landscape of the Duke of Berry's estates in the background. In addition, each shows the zodiac sign for the month and the sun's position within the zodiac... They are truly spectacular.  

In the first talk of two we will focus on the manuscript itself, think about the purpose of a 'Book of Hours', and look at the remarkable illuminations in detail.