Pol, Jean, and Herman Limbourg were the artistic team of brothers who created the most famous illuminated manuscript, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Of Northern Netherlandish decent, the brothers worked in France, creating many Late High Gothic works (Manion, Limbourg). Another good example of their Gothic style is The Meeting of the Magi (Fig. 2). Despite the fact that three brothers each worked on these manuscripts, as art historian Margaret Manion notes, “most art historians agree that it is impossible to distinguish adequately the artistic personality and style of each of the three brothers and that their oeuvre is more appropriately treated as a single entity” (Limbourg). Somewhere during 1411 or 1413 the brothers began their work on Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, as per commission of the Duke. Unfortunately, by the year 1416, all three brothers passed away, presumably from the plague, leaving the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry unfinished (Manion, Limbourg).

While no one is certain about the identities of the people in this painting, many believe that the man wearing the blue and gold fur-lined houppelande is the Duke himself. It is believed that the illustrated month of April is a depiction of him being wed to his second wife, Jeanne de Boulogne, who was only 12 years old at the time (Simon). In figure 1, you can see another depiction of the Duke in the same blue and gold houppelande, also painted by the Limbourg Brothers.

During 1416, not only did the brothers die, but the Duke passed away as well, leaving the manuscript to fall into different hands, eventually being finished by Jean Colombe (Manion, Très Riches Heures). However, the illustrations in the manuscript greatly impacted future art, and still remain a wonderful example of the art of its period.

Limbourg Brothers (Dutch, 1385 – 1416). April, 1412-1416. Illumination on vellum; 29 × 21 cm (11 2/5 × 8 3/10 in). Chantilly: Musée Condé. Source: Wikipedia

As there are many figures in April, there are many examples of fashionable garb that can be discussed. The young couple depicted in the front are of high wealth and status, most easily noted by their brocaded fabrics. The young woman is seen in a long blue gown with a very rounded neckline over a gold cote-hardie, which is likely made of silk. The long flowing sleeves and layers of fabric was very fashionable in the late middle ages (Hennessy 74-75). The men are wearing fur-lined houppelandes with long sleeves. As fashion historian Denis Delis Hill explains, a houppelande was an outer tunic that was fitted around the shoulders and flared out underneath, usually pulled in at the waist with a belt (331). These began as a male-specific garment, but after 1387, women began to wear a softer version of the houppelande (Tortora 133). The man offering the ring can be seen with dagged (snipped) edges on his sleeves, a trend picked up from German fashion (Hennessy 72). The woman on the right is seen in a high, open-collared houppelande, belted very high on the waist to achieve a maternal figure (Tortora 139).

As for the accessories, one can see the gentlemen are wearing poulaines and hose, much like the ones seen in figure 9. The exaggerated pointed toe of the poulaine was its signature; according to Tortora, the more pointed the toe the more wealthy the man (132). During the Late Middle Ages, many different styles of hats were in fashion. The fiancée can be seen wearing a fur and feather hat, while the men are depicted in different types of head wraps and hats. The women can also be seen wearing various types of gold jewelry. Paris and Helen, seen in figure 4, are also wearing houppelandes, gowns, and an interesting head wrap and hennin-style hat.

While the Crusades brought with it some new technological advances in clothing production, such as the spinning wheel and the horizontal loom, elaborately brocaded clothing and gowns made with ample fabric were a luxury of the upper class (Monet). These houppelandes and gowns were tailor-made for these wealthy individuals.