The Medieval World, C. 400–1300

Gothic Europe

What is the Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux?

The Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux is a fourteenth-century book of hours illuminated by an artist named Jean Pucelle and was a gift from French King Charles IV to his third wife (Jeanne d’Evreux). The book may be tiny in terms of physical dimension (only a few inches, in fact), but is big in terms of artistic innovation. It is known for its grisaille illustrations which feature a gray, monochrome style that results in unique, sculpturesque figures. The illuminations, which often incorporate examples of Gothic architecture into the background, are innovatively rendered using spatial recession, creating a sense of depth not seen in earlier medieval painting.

