The Calendar of the Months
At the heart of the famous manuscript "Les Très Riches Heures" du duc de Berry
Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry : mois de mai (1412/1489) by Frères Limbourg Château de Chantilly
Books of Hours, like the Très Riches Heures , gather prayers organized according to the different hours of the day and the liturgical calendar, in order to accompany and punctuate the daily prayer of the faithful. They bear witness to an era where the omnipresent Christian religion structured and paced the daily life of inhabitants, both lay and religious.
Festivities at the Duke of Berry's castle (January) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of January
In the first scene, we witness the banquet of the étrennes (New Year's gifts) taking place on the occasion of the New Year. The Duke of Berry—son, brother, and uncle to kings (1360–1416)—welcomes us to his court.
The Duke of Berry, seated in the place of honor with his back to the fireplace, is dressed in a thick blue houppelande (gown) and wears a cap made of bear fur, his emblematic animal.
"Peasant scene in the snow" (February) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of February
The simple life of the peasants contrasts with the magnificence of the January feast. In a landscape numbed by snow, the illuminators—the three Limbourg brothers—offer one of the first representations of snowy settings in Western painting.
"Work in the fields" (March) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers and Barthélémy d'Eyck Château de Chantilly
The Month of March
Work in the fields resumes after winter, revealing the reality of daily life in the medieval countryside. In the background, between myth and reality, the Castle of Lusignan—reconquered by Jean de Berry during the battles of the Hundred Years' War—is overlooked by the fairy Melusine, represented in the form of a dragon.
"Betrothal scene" (April) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of April
With the arrival of spring, nature and romantic feelings are reborn. This spring renewal is associated with a happy event in the life of the Duke of Berry: the betrothal of his daughter Marie, Duchess of Bourbon.
"May jousting" (May) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of May
A procession of high-ranking nobles sets out to gather the "May," the foliage of trees celebrating the return of the fair season. The crowns and necklaces of leaves echo the "gay green" robes distributed by the king on the occasion of this festival.
"Hayùaking on the banks of the Seine" (June) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers and Barthélémy d'Eyck Château de Chantilly
The Month of June
Summer labors begin. Peasants mow the grass and harvest the fields. In the background, one recognizes the Palais de la Cité in Paris, one of the seats of the monarchy, depicted with great fidelity.
"Harvest and sheep shearing" (July) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of July
The surroundings of the Castle of Poitiers are bustling with summer work in the fields. On the Boivre river, among the reeds, sail swans—the emblematic birds of the Duke of Berry.
"Falcon hunting" (August) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers Château de Chantilly
The Month of August
The traditional harvest is carried out at the foot of a new residence of the Duke of Berry, the Castle of Étampes, south of Paris. Below, idle young people bathe naked in the silvery water and dry themselves in the sun.
A stretch of water separates the field work from the lordly scene in the foreground. A joyful aristocratic party sets out for the hunt, accompanied by a falconer wearing a straw hat and holding a gaule (a long perch).
"Grape harvest" (September) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers and Barthélémy d'Eyck, Jean Colombe Château de Chantilly
The Month of September
This miniature offers a summary of the successive decorative campaigns that the Très Riches Heures underwent. In the sky, the lunette showing the chariot of the Sun travels through the zodiac, from Virgo to Libra. It is the work of the Limbourg brothers from the early 15th century, while the scenes below were painted later.
Below, the monumental fortress is attributed to their successor, Barthélemy d’eyck. The Castle of Saumur, worthy of a fairy tale, immortalizes the famous knightly tournament of the Pas d’armes de Saumur in 1446.
Further down lie the vineyards of Anjou, where grapes are being harvested. At the end of the 15th century, the illuminator Jean Colombe created this harvest scene, full of comical and narrative details.
"Sowing" (October) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers and Barthélémy d'Eyck Château de Chantilly
The Month of October
This miniature presents the most complete and reliable view of the medieval Louvre in all its architectural novelty. In the foreground, sowers and a scarecrow struggle against birds pecking at their grain outside the ramparts.
"The mast" (November) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Jean Colombe Château de Chantilly
The Month of November
This scene of glandée (pigs consuming acorns) is set in a landscape of forested hills, featuring a small castle and a town lost in the blue of the background.
"Calling the hunt" (December) (env. 1411 - env. 1485) by Limbourg brothers and Barthélémy d'Eyck Château de Chantilly
The Month of December
The final scene of the calendar is dominated by the Castle of Vincennes, the birthplace of the Duke of Berry. In contrast, the Limbourgs staged the death of a wild boar at the end of a princely hunt, perpetuating the cycle of life.
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