Pucelle, Jean

(c. 1300-1355)

   French manuscript illuminator who introduced Italianate elements into his works. His illuminations owe debt to the art of Duccio, especially in the treatment of space, and this he combined with the elegance of the French court. His is the use of varying tonal values to add volume to his draperies. Pucelle is among the first in France to view the elements of each page, including the illustration, text, and borders, as a whole rather than a set of distinctive components. His works therefore possess a harmony of design never before seen in French illuminations. His Belleville Breviary (1323-1326; Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Ms. Lat. 10483) includes these features. The page depicting David before Saul (fol. 24v), for example, presents the characters enclosed in a Duccio-like architectural setting that shows his attempt at perspective. The drolleries on the margins, composed of plants, birds, insects, and figures, enrich the aesthetic appeal of the page. In this same breviary, Pucelle illuminated the calendar pages with landscapes fit for each season. So, for example, the month of January features bare trees, heavy rain in February, and so on, showing his interest in studying nature and its phenomena. His Book of Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux (1325-1328, New York, The Cloisters), queen of France, is executed in grisaille with only a few added touches of color in tempera. The manuscript includes scenes of the infancy and Passion of Christ, as well as episodes from the life of St. Louis. Along the margins are beggars, musicians, dancers, and other characters found in the streets of medieval France, as well as animals, attesting to Pucelle's keen observation of his surroundings and desire to replicate on the page these details of everyday life.

   See also Illuminated manuscript.