A detailed facsimile of the July calendar page from the Très Riches Heures, depicting summer harvest scenes and the Palais de Poitiers.

This image is a facsimile of the July page from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a manuscript commissioned by Jean, Duke of Berry. The Limbourg brothers, Paul, Herman, and Jean, produced this work during the early fifteenth century. The composition follows the traditional calendar format found in medieval books of hours, which paired religious observances with seasonal agricultural activities.

The upper portion of the page features a semi-circular lunette containing the zodiac signs for Cancer and Leo, alongside a chariot of the sun. This astronomical detail reflects the medieval interest in the relationship between celestial movements and earthly time. Below this, the scene depicts the rural activities associated with midsummer. Peasants are shown harvesting wheat with sickles in the foreground, while others attend to sheep shearing near a stream. The architecture in the background, identified as the Palais de Poitiers, provides a sense of scale and structure to the composition. The castle walls and towers are rendered with precise detail, contrasting with the softer, organic forms of the fields and the figures.

The use of colour is characteristic of the International Gothic style, particularly the application of lapis lazuli for the sky and the detailed rendering of textiles. The figures are depicted in various postures of labour, capturing the rhythmic nature of agricultural life. The perspective is flattened, typical of manuscript illumination of this period, where the focus remains on the clarity of the narrative rather than atmospheric depth. This work provides a view into the social hierarchy and economic life of the early fifteenth century, documenting the tasks that defined the summer months for the rural population. The attention to detail in the clothing, tools, and architectural elements offers a record of material culture from the late medieval period.