Hand C
Artists
Hand C painted the historiated initials for the first three offices in the Hours of the Virgin and for the suffrages to saints (quires 16-19) as well as the single bas-de-page scene in the manuscript (fol. 174r). His compositions are clear and legible, despite the small painted areas, often densely populated. The imposing figures are well proportioned and fully engaged in the pictorial narrative, their eye contact, expressive faces, gestures and dynamic poses enhancing the drama. The draperies are skilfully modelled, conveying the three-dimensional forms beneath. The most advanced examples are found in blue and white fabrics. Hand C uses a brilliant palette, richer and more nuanced than that of the previous two artists.
This talented artist also painted one quire with full-page miniatures in the prefatory cycle of the St Louis Psalter (Paris, BnF, MS lat. 10525, fols. 25v-28).
Game of bowls
This is a very early example of a secular bas-de-page scene. Such images would become common only in early 14th-century manuscripts. The painting stages were never completed, with only the base layers applied for green and pink areas. But the ink sketch reveals the artist’s (Hand C) confident and fluid drawing style.