The Psalter-Hours of Isabelle of France
Hand A
Artists
Hand A was responsible for the six full-page miniatures in the prefatory cycle (quire 1). He designed clear, legible compositions and framed them within structures inspired by Gothic architecture. Hand A painted monumental figures with solid anatomy, the robust musculature of their lower torsos revealed by the modelling of drapery and stockings. Their gestures and faces convey controlled emotions. Superimposed elements of the compositions suggest multiple planes within the image and create a sense of depth.
1
Detail of the red quadrilobe under magnification (16x). XRF analysis (below) allows the identification of gypsum (Ca, S) and an organic colourant (P, Al, K). The high amount of phosphorous may indicate that the dye was extracted from insects.
2
Detail of the folds in the tan-coloured robe under magnification (20x). The dark blue colour of the folds was obtained with indigo.
3
Detail of the brown hat under magnification (60), showing blue, orange and translucent red particles in a white matrix. FORS and XRF analyses identified the components of this complex mixture as indigo, red lead, an organic red and possibly lead white.
4
The XRF spectrum (above) of the green wall reveals the presence of a copper-based pigment, which also contains chlorine (Cl). The shape of the reflectance spectrum (below) allows the identification of verdigris, a pigment with variable composition which in this case includes copper chlorides.
