Breathtaking Stories in Dreamlike PicturesĮven more adventurous than the fate of the work are the histories it contains. Thereafter it surfaced in the library of King Francois I and was clad in its present binding with the king’s coat of arms at the end of the 17th century. The journey of the codex is not exactly known to us today, until the beginning of the 16th century it had completely disappeared. After the death of the Duke of Berry, the manuscript passed into the possession of the Armagnac family. Here the work is listed as a gift of the Duke of Burgundy. The Turbulent History of the Illuminated ManuscriptĪ further indication that John the Fearless was the commissioner, or at least its original owner, is found in the inventory of the Duke of Berry. A few personal symbols and hints in the work point to the Burgundian Duke John the Fearless, who was known as a great patron of art, music, and literature.
A high cost must certainly be reckoned for a magnificent manuscript of this quality and with the involvement of such popular illuminators, it can be assumed that the commissioner was among the nobility. A Mysterious Commissioner?Įven today, it has never been definitively explained who commissioned the so-called Book of Wonders.
Among these painters were the Egerton Master and Bedford Master, who created through their brilliant collaboration probably their most beautiful illustrations. The second group of artists is responsible for 44 miniatures, which likewise delight through their quality and diligence. He was supported by the no-less popular Mazarine Master. 37 from the total of 84 miniatures came from the Boucicaut Master, the famous virtuoso of the northern European artists who was responsible for the influential innovations of illumination from that region. The coveted and valuable document originates from the 15th century and was prepared by the most famous French miniature painters of that time, who worked in two groups simultaneously. The work depicts a unique mixture of geographical and ethnological documentation, as well as fantastical medieval imaginings and sagas. It describes the journey of the pioneer in the remote regions of Asia, from his return journey through India to Venice, and regions that Marco Polo probably never visited. The document recounts the story of the commercial traveler Marco Polo in 192 pages and 84 magnificent, large-format miniatures with gold inlay.
In 15th century France, an artistic manuscript emerged that was contributed to by the most famous and influential illuminators of that time. The Most Beautiful Books of Hours and Prayer Books The Most Beautiful Facsimiles Under 1,000€
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