The Messiah Dominions 

This page, featuring both text and image, was made around 1410 by the Limbourg brothers, likely in France. It’s an illuminated manuscript, a type of book made for private devotion, primarily among wealthy elites. Look at the image. On the right, you can see armoured figures engaged in battle, while to the left is Latin script and decorative foliage. How might we interpret the relationship between these elements? The text is from the Book of Psalms, a collection of sacred songs in the Hebrew Bible. By depicting a battle scene alongside it, the Limbourg brothers were interpreting and elaborating on the biblical text. More broadly, we might consider the social functions of books like this. Who were they made for? What kind of beliefs and values did they express? What role might religious images have played in articulating and reinforcing political power? Understanding these questions requires research into the patronage system of the early 15th century.