Illuminated Page from a French Book of Hours c. 1505 - 1510
thielmankerver1
aged paper
toned paper
water colours
tea stained
personal sketchbook
coloured pencil
coffee painting
france
watercolour bleed
watercolour illustration
watercolor
This illuminated page from a French Book of Hours, created by Thielman Kerver around 1505–1510, showcases a vivid depiction of the Passion of Christ. The scene, painted in delicate detail, portrays Jesus being scourged at the pillar, a common theme in medieval art. The page's intricate border, adorned with flourishing floral motifs, exemplifies the elaborate decorative style of the period. The manuscript, now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a testament to the artistry and religious devotion prevalent in 16th-century France. Book of Hours, illuminated manuscript, French art, medieval art, religious art.
Comments
Thielman Kerver was a highly successful Parisian publisher, whose business continued for generations within his family. In the early 16th century, he published several Books of Hours that conceptually followed the segmented border format used in the manuscript shown nearby. For him, the advantage lay in making small metal printing plates that could be recombined and reused. The plates were attached to wooden blocks to make them the same height as the type for the text. The pictorial metalcuts are so densely overpainted that it is hard to see that the images are printed. Kerver inked his types in both red and black in emulation of manuscript text. The main type font, however, is very different from French manuscripts of a few years earlier and signals a shift in orientation from medieval monasticism to renaissance humanism. The text is meant for the knowledgeable, for many of the words are severely abbreviated.
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