The Limbourg Brothers : Reflections on the Origins and the Legacy of Three Illuminators From Nijmegen

Although the Nijmegen artists Herman, Paul and Jean de Limbourg were barely thirty years old when they suddenly died in 1416, they could already look back on a formidable career. Now, even almost six hundred years after their creation, their colourful and highly refined miniatures in the Belles Heures and Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry still speak vividly to our imagination. In 2005, Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen presented the exhibition The Limbourg Brothers. Nijmegen Masters at the French Court (1400-1416). This was the first time that original miniatures out of four manuscripts by the Limbourg brothers were shown in the Netherlands. The exhibition formed an excellent opportunity to invite prominent scholars to share their views on the art of the Limbourg brothers during a two day conference. This publication presents in written form the conference papers delivered by some of the leading scholars in the field. In that respect, this volume acts as an addendum to the catalogue. Contributors of this title include, Hanneke van Asperen, Gregory T. Clark, Herman Th. Colenbrander, Rob Duckers, Eberhard Konig, Margaret Lawson, Stephen G. Perkinson, Pieter Roelofs, Victor M. Schmidt. Although the Nijmegen artists Herman, Paul and Jean de Limbourg were barely thirty years old when they suddenly died in 1416, they already had a formidable career behind them. Now, almost six hundred years after their creation, the colourful and highly refined miniatures in the Belles Heures and Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry still speak vividly to our imagination. In 2005 Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen presented the exhibition 'The Limbourg Brothers. Nijmegen Masters at the French Court (1400-1416)'. This was the first time that original miniatures from four manuscripts by the Limbourg brothers were shown in the Netherlands. The exhibition formed an excellent opportunity to invite prominent scholars to share their views on the art of the Limbourg brothers during a two-day conference. This publication presents in written form the conference papers delivered by some of the leading scholars in the field. In that respect, the volume acts as an addendum to the catalogue. Contributors are Hanneke van Asperen, Gregory T. Clark, Herman Th. Colenbrander, Rob Dückers, Eberhard König, Margaret Lawson, Stephen Perkinson, Pieter Roelofs and Victor M. Schmidt Contents......Page 6 Introduction: The Homecoming of the Limbourg Brothers (Rob Dückers and Pieter Roelofs)......Page 8 Some Portraits by Johan Maelwael, Painter of the Dukes of Burgundy (Victor M. Schmidt)......Page 12 The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duke of Berry Manuscript and the Question of the Artists’ ‘Hands’ (Margaret Lawson)......Page 26 Likeness, Loyalty, and the Life of the Court Artist: Portraiture in the Calendar Scenes of the Très Riches Heures (Stephen Perkinson)......Page 58 A Pilgrim’s Additions. Traces of Pilgrimage in the Belles Heures of Jean de Berry (Hanneke van Asperen)......Page 92 Was kann man aus den Belles Heures über die Limburgs lernen? (Eberhard König)......Page 112 Guelders-France. Another Connection around (Herman Th. Colenbrander)......Page 138 A Close Encounter? The Limbourg Brothers and Illumination in the Northern Netherlands in the First Half of the Fifteenth Century (Rob Dückers) ......Page 156 The Master of Guillebert de Mets, Philip the Good, and the Breviary of John the Fearless (Gregory T. Clark)......Page 198 Notes on Contributors......Page 218 Name Index (compiled by Roderick Pelser)......Page 222 Brill Contents 6 Introduction: The Homecoming of the Limbourg Brothers (Rob Dückers and Pieter Roelofs) 8 Some Portraits by Johan Maelwael, Painter of the Dukes of Burgundy (Victor M. Schmidt) 12 The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duke of Berry Manuscript and the Question of the Artists’ ‘Hands’ (Margaret Lawson) 26 Likeness, Loyalty, and the Life of the Court Artist: Portraiture in the Calendar Scenes of the Très Riches Heures (Stephen Perkinson) 58 A Pilgrim’s Additions. Traces of Pilgrimage in the Belles Heures of Jean de Berry (Hanneke van Asperen) 92 Was kann man aus den Belles Heures über die Limburgs lernen? (Eberhard König) 112 Guelders-France. Another Connection around (Herman Th. Colenbrander) 138 A Close Encounter? The Limbourg Brothers and Illumination in the Northern Netherlands in the First Half of the Fifteenth Century (Rob Dückers) 156 The Master of Guillebert de Mets, Philip the Good, and the Breviary of John the Fearless (Gregory T. Clark) 198 Notes on Contributors 218 Name Index (compiled by Roderick Pelser) 222 ISBN-13:,9789004175129 In 2005, Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen presented the exhibition The Limbourg Brothers. The exhibition formed an excellent opportunity to invite prominent scholars to share their views on the art of the Limbourg brothers during a two day conference. This title presents the conference papers delivered by some of the leading scholars in the field