Medieval Book of Hours France (1450) left page, spread #22

Medieval Book of Hours France (1450) left page, spread #22

This Page Showcases a number of tropes commonly found in medieval manuscript grotesque illustrations. One of the most notable being the man playing the lute in the center left side of the page. The man’s lower body is engulfed by the head of a flower which is then connected to a stem and leaves. The hybridization of people, plants and animals is a common visual theme in medieval grotesques and may have been done so for comedic affect or as a tool to bring the reader into a bizarre and fantastical world.

1450

Public Domain

JPEG

Still Image

Hours_2