March in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham

What did early spring in March look like 600 years ago?

In a scene from the medieval illuminated manuscript known as Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry, peasants plow rain-soaked fields beneath zodiac signs and a looming castle. The calendar pages in this book of hours blend earthly labor with celestial symbolism. The image reveals how medieval art fused reality, religion, history, and myth into a single page.

March, in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (c. 1412–16), Limbourg Brothers and other artists. Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. Photo: © Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank

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Discover our resources about the Winter Season in Art.

Learn more about the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry and medieval France.

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