
Collection Online as of March 20, 2023
(Flemish, c. 1444–1519)
Ink, tempera and liquid gold on vellum
Leaf: 10.8 x 8.2 cm (4 1/4 x 3 1/4 in.)
The Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection 2011.64
not on view
This book, made by an artist of the Ghent-Bruges school of illumination, represents the culmination of Flemish book painting. Its main features were the use of rich colors, decorative and illusionistic effects, a love of landscape, and a strong sense of visual narrative. Its most distinctive innovation was the development of a new style of border decoration featuring realistic motifs which cast shadows onto colored grounds to create an effect of spaciousness. These motifs included a diverse assortment of flowers, butterflies, insects, birds, and sprays of acanthus foliage.