The Departure of Jean de France (1340-1416) Duke of Berry 

The Limbourg brothers made this illumination on vellum, probably sometime in the 1410s, in France. It shows Jean, Duke of Berry, leaving a castle with his entourage beneath an angel. The Limbourg brothers were employed by the Duke to produce a Book of Hours, a private devotional book. The very existence of such a book tells us something about the religious practices of the late medieval aristocracy. The image is full of indicators of social status, especially the Duke’s garments. The inclusion of the angel implies divine approval of his noble status. To understand this image better, we might research the Book of Hours as an artistic genre, or investigate the politics of the French court in the early 15th century. Art historians consider such contextual factors to reveal the complex meanings that works of art held for their original audiences.