Posts made in December 6th, 2009

Adventures in Poetry

Posted by elizabeth on Dec 6, 2009 in "My Last Duchess", Robert Browning, The BBC | Comments Off

The BBC Radio 4 Adventures in Poetry program on “My Last Duchess” is now available online! It’s a fabulous in-depth look at the poem, at the history behind the story, and at dear Mr. Browning. Take a little break from your holiday shopping and listen—the link is here:

BBC Radio 4 Adventures in Poetry “My Last Duchess”

My little segment is about twenty minutes in, and I do have to admit it’s a bit of a shock to suddenly hear my own very Texan-sounding voice after twenty minutes of British voices. But it’s a huge honor to be included, and I’m very excited and pleased.

Book Shopping, Day Six

Posted by elizabeth on Dec 6, 2009 in Books, Christmas Shopping | 1 comment

Because I live my alternative life in the sixteenth century, I love reproductions of fabulous books of hours. Whether or not one takes the content to heart, the sheer glory of the artwork and minuscule magnificence of the illuminations and borders are enough to touch anyone’s heart.

This book, The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry, is just such a beautiful art object. The Belles Heures is not the same as the more famous Très Riches Heures, although it was painted by the same artists, the three Limbourg brothers, Paul, Hermann and Jean. Perhaps the “Beautiful Hours” was for everyday, and the “Very Rich Hours” was for high holidays! Out of curiosity I traced the relationship between Jean, Duc de Berry, and Alfonso II d’Este, Duke of Ferrara—my Alfonso. It turns out Alfonso is doubly related to Jean—Jean is his fourth great uncle through his father Ercole II d’Este, and his fifth great uncle through his mother, Renée of France. As I keep finding out, medieval and Renaissance Europe was very much a family affair.

A sumptuous gift for anyone interested in Renaissance art, the particular art of illumination, the French royal family, or the collection of books of hours.

The Art of Illumination: The Limbourg Brothers and the Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry is available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-a-Million, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (check the home page for a discount code good for 20% off, effective through December 13th), and of course your favorite independent bookseller.