The Psalter-Hours of Isabelle of France

Painting the flesh

Artists' Techniques

Three of the main artists (Hands A, B and C) modelled flesh tones on a lead white base (e.g. fols. VIr, 42r, 191v). Hand B, and occasionally Hand C, added a touch of red on the cheeks (e.g. fols. 42r, 177v). Facial features and hair were outlined with fluid carbon black lines.

Hand D used a pink colour instead for the base layer in flesh tones (e.g. fol. 220r). He rendered facial features and other anatomical details in a sophisticated way, with brown shadows and white highlights yielding a more realistic effect.

Lightbox: 166
1
Detail of the folds in St John’s dark purple mantle under magnification (12.5x). FORS analysis (below) reveals the presence of ultramarine in the mantle (blue line) and indigo, recognised by its maximum absorbance at 660 nm, in the dark folds (black line).
Lightbox: 167
2
Detail of the chest of Christ under magnification (25x) showing the sophisticated modelling of flesh with brown shadows and white highlights over a light pink base layer.
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3
Detail of the faces of Christ and Joseph of Arimathea under magnification (16x) showing the sophisticated modelling of flesh with grey shadows and white highlights over a light pink base layer.

Deposition (Hours of the Virgin, Vespers)

The deep blue and dark purple draperies (hotspot 1), skilfully modelled so as to convey the three-dimensional human anatomy beneath, and the pink flesh tones of Christ’s body (hotspots 2 and 3) characterise the work of Hand D.

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