Underdrawing
Artists' Techniques
The Annunciation painted by the Master of the Bible of Jean de Sy displays extensive underdrawing in ink. It not only structures the main elements of the composition, but also defines shaded areas with density and texture that shows through the thinly applied pigments.
The underdrawing in some of the miniatures painted by the Master of the Grandes Heures bears such a close resemblance to that of the Annunciation that one wonders whether the Jean de Sy Master might have sketched them, leaving the painting to his associate. The Master of the Grandes Heures was himself a talented draughtsman; his accomplished sketch of the Adoration of the Magi on fol. 102r favourably compares with the shakier underdrawing of the small miniature on the same subject sketched and painted by one of his assistant on fol. 128v.
Simple line drawing, which contributes little to the simulation of volume, is the Master of the Throne of Mercy’s most distinctive quality. The Master of the Coronation Book of Charles V, on the other hand, sketched his composition in a minimal, dry and linear style.
Annunciation with Philip the Bold’s portrait and arms (Hours of the Virgin, Matins)
The manuscript’s patron, Philip the Bold, is shown in prayer within the historiated initial beneath the Annunciation miniature. The bas-de-page scene preserves faint traces of the arms of Burgundy supported by lions. The images on this page are the only contribution the Master of the Bible of Jean de Sy made to the manuscript. The Annunciation displays the salient features of his work: a balanced composition with spatially conceived architecture; dainty figures, small in proportion to the overall picture space; elegant drapery with peculiar patterns, including cascading serpentine- or pretzel-like hems and deep, V-shaped folds resembling pouches; vigorous, yet courtly gestures; powerful, though controlled facial expressions; carefully blended flesh tones; a sophisticated palette, contrasting bold orange and saturated blue with pastel green, grey, pink and violet; extensive underdrawing; and a subtle painting technique, combining directional strokes with tiny dots.
The application of the red glaze over the gold fleurs-de-lis background is continuous with the shading on the left side of the loggia and emphasizes the three-dimensional effect not simply by means of geometry, but by simulating the play of light and shadow on different surfaces and fabrics.