The Psalter-Hours of Isabelle of France

Modelling of draperies

Artists' Techniques

This manuscript is among the earliest examples of an innovative, three-dimensional modelling technique that sought to convey the human anatomy beneath the fabrics. The main stimulus for this development was Parisian sculpture of c. 1245-1270 at Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame. The illuminators of Isabelle’s manuscript replicated the sculpted draperies by means of a sophisticated gradation of lighter and darker colours in order to simulate highlights and shadows. The modelling is most advanced in blue, grey, purple, pink and grey-blue fabrics as well as in white ones shaded in blue. It is less pronounced in green and red draperies.

The fabrics are generally modelled with broad shadows painted in indigo and ultramarine, and thin black lines. In the miniatures painted by Hand D, however, the black outlines are not present at all and the folds are indicated entirely with a nuanced gradation of colour (e.g. fol. 220r). 

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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.
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Detail of the folds in the tan-coloured robe under magnification (20x). The dark blue colour of the folds was obtained with indigo.
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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.
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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.

David’s burial

King Solomon grieves as his father’s body is being lowered into a tomb. Illustrating an episode in the Old Testament Book of Kings (III ii.10), this scene was painted by Hand A.

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