Brothers limburg

Paul (Paul, Polekin), Erman (German), Zhaneken (Jan) were three brothers, of whom Erman, apparently, was the eldest. There is little information about their biography.

Born in Nijmegen ( Brabant ), in the family of a sculptor, woodcarver Arnold van Limburg, the son of a certain John, who supposedly moved to the Netherlands from Limburg on the Meuse . In total, the family had 6 children - the brothers Rutger and Arnold and sister Greta. According to their mother, Mehtild Maluel, they were nephews of Jean Maluel , court painter of the Dukes of Burgundy. Perhaps around 1399-1400 studied in the jewelry industry in Paris . The first mention in documents of artists from this family dates back to May 2, 1400. Erman and Jacques (Gillequin) ^[1] Maluel, pupils of the Parisian jeweler Alebre, were sent to Geldern due to the plague epidemic that broke out in 1399. When traveling through Brussels , which were at war with the Duke of Geldern at that time, they were captured and kept in captivity for six months, and their mother paid for the expenses, as stated in the document ^[2] "a very poor woman." A ransom for the brothers from his own funds was made by the Duke of Burgundy , before whom Jean Maluel interceded for his nephews. However, the discussion most likely was not about the Limburg brothers, but about the other nephews of Jean Maluel ^[3] . On February 2, 1402, the brothers Poleken and Zhaneken in the payment receipt were named miniature painters of Philip the Bold: they were instructed to execute illustrations for the Bible. It is believed that this is the "moral Bible", which is now in the Paris National Library . At the same time, the duke forbade the brothers to work for other customers and appointed them maintenance for four years. The brothers settled in the house of Jean Durand, the doctor of the Duke. Work on the Bible continued until the death of Philip the Bold in 1404. After his death - the court masters of Jean, the Duke of Berry , his brother. There is no information on the activities of the brothers from 1405 to 1408. However, the researcher Millard Meiss refers precisely to this time the work on the design of the “Beautiful Watch Book” ( Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York ). Judging by the document dated June 29, 1410, preserved in the archives of Nijmegen, Erman and Jean Limburgi, the sons of the engraver Arnold from Aachen, owned movable and real estate in this city. Starting in 1410, the Limburg brothers are often mentioned in documents as court masters of the Duke of Berry. For example, on January 1, 1411, they presented as a gift to their master “a deceiving book made of a piece of wood” - this is the first evidence where all three brothers appear. Since the fall of 1413, Paul Limburg has been called the "valet of the gracious gentleman," and in 1415, valets already have Jean and Ehrman. Approximately the death dates of the Limburg brothers are set for papers relating to their inheritance. It is known that Jean died around March 9, 1416, and by September-October of that year, Paul and Ehrman were not already alive. Presumably all of them died from the plague epidemic that very young in the same year.

Style

In their miniatures, the sophistication of French late Gothic painting was manifested; At the same time, the Limburgs studied deeply the achievements of Italian art of the 13th – 14th centuries in the transfer of volume and space, and strove for a poetic and truthful depiction of nature and everyday life. The miniatures of the calendar of the “Richest Hourly Book” with their wealth of realistic observations anticipated the development of the art of the Northern Renaissance . Instead of the ornamental background, characteristic of Gothic painting, the sky, airspace, the light of the sun appeared, changing depending on the time of day and the time of year. Real buildings are reproduced with great accuracy.

Artwork

• Bible moralisée (Paris, National Library , MS fr. 166) - an early work of the brothers (possibly created for Philip II of Burgundy ). She is the latest of the seven fully illustrated Bible moralisée known to us.
• The Little Hours of the Duke of Berry ( Les Petites Heures du duc de Berry ; Paris, National Library , MS lat. 18014) - started in 1372 by Jean Lenoir , continued by Jacquemart de Esden . Finished in 1390. Limburgs made several miniatures.

• “The Most Beautiful Theologian of Our Lady” ( Très belles heures de Notre-Dame ; Paris, National Library , MS Nouv. Acq. Lat. 3093) - started in 1382 . Some of the miniatures were at one time attributed to the van Eyck brothers ^[4] . It is possible that the Limburgs performed three miniatures in it. This timepiece should not be confused with the “Most Beautiful (Graceful) Timeline of the Duke of Berry”, otherwise the “Brussels Timepiece” ( Les Très Belles heures du duc de Berry , Les Heures de Bruxelles ; Brussels, Royal Library , MS 11060-1). Limburgs have nothing to do with the latter.
• “The Beautiful Duchess of the Duke of Berry” ( Les Belles Heures du duc de Berry ; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art , Cloisters Museum, Acc. No. 54.1.1) - the first order of the duke to his brothers (c. 1409 ). However, their only completed work.
• “The Magnificent (Luxurious) Theologian of the Duke of Berry” ( Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry ; Chantilly , Conde Museum , MS 65) - the most famous work of Limburg, completed by other artists.
• Works of Valery Maxim ( Vatican Library ) .

• Caselle Raymond, Rathofer Johannes. The magnificent hours of the Duke of Berry. - M. , 2002. - ISBN 5-7793-0495-5 .
• Starodubova V.V. The Limburg Brothers. - M. , 2002. - ISBN 5-7793-0550-1 .

• Limbourg brothers foundation