Book of Hours of Jeanne d'Évreux
by PUCELLE, Jean, Manuscript (Acc. 54), 94 x 64 mm
Jean Pucelle, the French illuminator, is a controversial figure in 14th-century manuscript painting since his individual role in works attributed to him and his circle has not yet been fully defined. The manuscripts associated with him, however, are among the most important produced in this period, displaying an innovative approach to three-dimensional space, derived from Italian painting. This is thought to have been influential in manuscript and monumental painting, applied arts and sculpture.
The picture shows a miniature on folio 16r in the Book of Hours of Queen Jeanne d’�vreux. It represents the Annunciation. The miniaturist, Pucelle, evidently modelled his representation of spatial depth on the Italian Trecento painter Duccio di Buoninsegna.