Located in the 15th-century Christian prayer book Heurs of Louis de Laval is a set of eye-catching imagery. This was the work of French miniature painter and illuminator of manuscripts Jean Colombe (1430-1493).
Considering yellow is our favourite colour, the many and layered golden arches disappearing into the back of the artwork is incredibly precise. Away from the religious overtones (as we’re not religious), it’s just very appealing. Modern, yet so very historic, all at once. Thusly! Let’s explore this a little further.
The Rich Religious Iconography of All the Saints
Jean Colombe is famous for works such as Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (circa 1412), intricate illuminated manuscripts.
But it’s the yellow images we’re focussing in on, which appeared in 1480’s Heurs of Louis de Laval, which you can see in the facsimile copy below.
This work is astonishing, really, with some 1,200 miniature paintings spread across 700 pages, which are now safely ensconced in the Bibliothèque nationale de France museum in Paris.
An illuminated manuscript was formally prepared, with all the fancy Medieval style font flourishes and the like. Colombe didn’t do everything in Heurs of Louis de Laval by himself, but he did contribute most of the work. What’s carried through to the modern day are two striking images, male and female saints.
The theme seems to be the collective splendour amongst the holy, with the many Saints sprawling back into the background so their various halo merge into one; as if that is god almighty itself as an entity.
From a modern eye (especially if you’re as irreverent as we are), there’s a comical element. Everyone crowded together, smirking, showing off their halos.
But we also just love the layered approach to the halos tapering off toward the back. Like a wave of spiritual delights, eh?
A Little Bit About Books of Hours and Jean Colombe
Again, these are small miniatures in the work, quite removed from some of the more grandiose pieces from the Middle Ages. The intricacies carried through the generations ahead, as by the 17th century French Beauvais Manufactory historic tapestry factory pelting out fantastic works.
You can see some of those in the excellent Conundrum: Puzzles in the Grotesques Tapestry Series by Charissa Bremer-David.
However, we should note books of hours were a lot different to a tapestry. Here’s someone who actually knows what they’re on about to inform you.
Heurs of Louis de Laval was commissioned circa 1470 by Louis de Laval, Lord of Châtillon, and the work was wrapped up circa 1489. Yes, then, this thing took over a decade to complete.
Jean Colombe was the most distinguished French illuminator of his era, so most of the work was led by his direction. Asides from these books of hours, he worked on chronicles of Christian Crusades, plus assisted other illuminators with finishing their pieces.
Other than this, there’s not much more information about who he was as a person. All that’s left is his rather exquisite art, with All the Saints seemingly custom made for yellow obsessed bloggers many centuries later.
