Belles Heures
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The Belles Heures is a significant illuminated manuscript created by the Limbourg brothers, renowned Dutch manuscript illuminators of the late Gothic period. This book of hours, a devotional text popular in the Middle Ages containing prayers for canonical hours, was commissioned by Jean de France, duc de Berry.12
The Belles Heures is notable as the only book solely illustrated by the Limbourg brothers, showcasing their distinctive style characterized by subtle lines, meticulous detail, and a synthesis of contemporary artistic innovations. While other artists contributed calligraphy and borders, the illuminations themselves are attributed to Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg. The manuscript is considered a landmark in book illumination and influenced the development of Early Netherlandish art.1
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