Leaf from a Book of Hours: St. Matthew

The style of this miniature can be linked to the Limbourg Brothers, celebrated Dutch miniature painters who were active in France, particularly Burgundy. They are known to have first worked for Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy, and later for Duke Jean de Berry. The palette of this miniature, with its ultramarine blues, soft pink, and pale green, as well as the crisp geometric pattern behind the figure, is typical of the Limbourgs’ work. In a book of hours, this miniature would have introduced the start of the gospel lessons.