Master of the Grandes Heures
Artists
A talented associate of the Master of the Bible of Jean de Sy painted nine of the ten large miniatures of the Grandes Heures, together with their bas-de-page scenes, as well as most of the small miniatures of the original campaign. Given his significant contribution, he is named the Master of the Grandes Heures. Active in Paris c. 1350-1380, he illuminated manuscripts for Charles V in the 1370s. He followed closely the Jean de Sy Master’s compositions, figure and facial types, palette and painting technique.
Flight into Egypt with bas-de-page scene of horse-taming (Hours of the Virgin, Vespers)
The Master of the Grandes Heures, who painted this page, followed closely his teacher, the Master of the Bible of Jean de Sy. He used an identical palette of deep blue and bright orange contrasting with soft pink, violet, grey and pastel green; the delicate stippling technique combined with directional strokes; the pretzel- and pouch-like drapery folds; and the extensive under-drawing with dense strokes defining the shaded areas.
His solid figures are larger in proportion to the overall picture space than those of the Jean de Sy Master. The faces, often expressive and at times grim, are heavily modelled, but less carefully blended than those painted by the Jean de Sy Master; the shading and highlights are clearly visible, creating a somewhat rugged appearance.