September - Limbourg brothers

A detailed manuscript illumination depicting the grape harvest at the Château de Saumur, from the calendar cycle of the Très Riches Heures.

This image originates from the calendar cycle of the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a manuscript commissioned by Jean, Duc de Berry. The Limbourg brothers, Paul, Herman, and Jean, worked on this project during the early fifteenth century. The scene depicts the agricultural activities associated with the month of September, specifically the grape harvest. In the foreground, figures are shown gathering grapes, while a cart waits to transport the produce.

The composition is divided into two distinct sections. The lower portion provides a view of the Château de Saumur, a residence belonging to the Duke. The architecture is rendered with attention to its towers and defensive walls, reflecting the fortified style of the period. The upper section features a lunette containing an astronomical chart. This chart includes the zodiac signs, the phases of the moon, and the chariot of the sun, which were standard elements in medieval calendars to track time and celestial movements.

The work demonstrates the characteristics of the International Gothic style, which favoured precise detail and a decorative approach to space. The figures are small in scale, integrated into the rural setting, and the perspective is constructed to allow for a clear view of both the human activity and the architectural subject. The use of vellum as a surface allowed for the application of fine pigments and gold leaf, which provided the luminosity typical of high-quality manuscript illumination. This piece offers a record of medieval life, agricultural cycles, and the artistic conventions of the early fifteenth-century French court.