Exhibitions

Flemish Illumination in the Era of Catherine of Cleves
January 22 through May 2, 2010

+zoom	St. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child Book of Hours, in Latin Belgium, Ghent?, ca. 1420, 180 x 130 mm. Illuminated by the Master of Guillebert de Mets The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.46, fol. 23v The Master of Guillebert de Mets is named after the scribe who signed a manuscript (today in Paris) of Boccaccio's Decameron made for Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy, to which the artist contributed nearly a third of the hundred miniatures. Active about 1420 to 1445, probably in Ghent, the Guillebert Master and the younger Master of the Ghent Privileges (see adjacent manuscript) were the two leading illuminators in Flanders during the second quarter of the fifteenth century. (Their similar styles are easily confused.) The Guillebert Master was at times a subtler colorist, as seen in this St. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child. The striking border on the facing page—ivy with leaves growing in parallel groups—typically appears in his early manuscripts.

+zoom	St. George Slaying the Dragon Book of Hours, in Latin Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1450 Illuminated by the Master of Jean Chevrot, 159 x 110 mm. The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.421, fol. 23v The Master of Jean Chevrot was named after the frontispieces he painted in a two-volume manuscript (today in Brussels) of St. Augustine's City of God that was made in 1445 for Bishop Jean Chevrot of Tournai. The Chevrot Master had firsthand knowledge of the art of Jan van Eyck, having collaborated with him on the Turin-Milan Hours, an infamous manuscript that took seven artistic campaigns and over fifty years to complete (partially destroyed; the surviving portion is in Turin). Shown here is St. George Slaying the Dragon. Especially Eyckian is the Chevrot Master's attention to detail, as seen in George's armor, the birds in the sky, and the dragon's genitals.

+zoom	Adoration of the Magi Book of Hours, in Latin and French Northern France; Belgium, ca. 1480 Illuminated by Simon Marmion, 165 x 110 mm. The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.6, fol. 44v Simon Marmion was called the very prince of book illumination by Renaissance poet Jean Lemaire, who also equated him with Jean Fouquet and Jan van Eyck. Based in Valenciennes, Marmion was active from the late 1450s until his death in 1489, executing commissions for the highly refined tastes of the court of Burgundy. This miniature of The Adoration of the Magi exemplifies the artist's subtle palette (he favors salmon pink, lilac, and pistachio green) and his delicate figures with their gentle features and restrained gestures. Below the miniature is a border of strewn flowers and berries. Such trompe-l'oeil borders would become a popular feature of Flemish manuscripts. Painted around 1480, this codex reveals Marmion to be an early master of these foliate marvels.

+zoom	All Martyrs Da Costa Hours, in Latin Belgium, Ghent, ca. 1515 Illuminated by Simon Bening, 172 x 125 mm. The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.399, fol. 295v Known as the Da Costa Hours after its second owner, Don Alvaro da Costa, chamberlain to King Manuel I of Portugal, this masterpiece is by Flanders's last great illuminator, Simon Bening (1483/84–1561). Among other elements, Bening is known for religious scenes infused with quiet dignity, solid figure types, lush landscapes, trompe-l'oeil borders, and keen observation of detail. This striking miniature and its facing text page include all these characteristics. The image, marking the start of a prayer to all martyrs, illustrates the numerous ways over the centuries by which Christians have been put to death for their faith.

+zoom	Flight into Egypt Book of Hours, in Latin Belgium, Bruges, 1520s Illuminated by Simon Bening, 80 x 60 mm. The Morgan Library & Museum; MS M.307, fol. 71v Simon Bening's illumination in this codex is even more delicate than that in the two adjacent manuscripts. The landscape is more advanced than that in the Da Costa Hours and even subtler than that in the equally small Van Damme Hours. This may be partially due to Bening's greater participation in the book, relying less on workshop assistance. Shown here is The Flight into Egypt, which exemplifies Bening's keen interest in depicting landscape and weather conditions. The miniature also attests to his attention to detail: note, to the right of the Virgin's head, the tiny gold statue that has toppled from the column on the hill. The idol's fall symbolizes the collapse of the old pagan world.