The splendor of the late medieval court of the dukes of Burgundy evokes the legendary Camelot. Its magnificence was expressed in lavish banquets, pageants, and tournaments, as well as luxury goods such as tapestries, paintings, metalwork, and particularly illuminated manuscripts.
An exhibition at the Getty Center in Los Angeles traces the tradition of Netherlandish manuscript painting from the 12th century to its extraordinary flowering in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Prosperous towns
By the mid-1400s, the Burgundians held sway over much of the Netherlands, including the prosperous Flemish towns of Ghent and Bruges (in present-day Belgium) and the Dutch city of Utrecht—all important centres of manuscript production.
At this time Netherlandish books, especially from Ghent and Bruges, dominated the European market. They were created for an international clientele of princes, dukes, cardinals, bishops, and wealthy burghers.
Two installations
Because manuscripts are sensitive to light, this exhibition is presented in two installations: August 24–November 7, 2010; and November 9, 2010–February 6, 2011. After eleven weeks the books’ pages will be turned to reveal further illuminated riches.
The above image is from a bestiary, a collection of moralizing descriptions of real and mythical beasts, and one of the most popular books of the 1200s in northern Europe. The bird-women Sirens lured sailors to their deaths with song, and represented worldly temptation. Centaurs, whose human appearance above the waist belied their beastly nature below, represented hypocrisy.
August 24, 2010 – February 6 , 2011, The Getty Center, Los Angeles, California.
Image: A Siren and a Centaur, unknown artist, about 1270. From a Bestiary authored by Hugo of Fouilloy, Flanders. On view during first installation: August 24 – November 7, 2010.
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