The Masters Of The Dark Eyes ― Late Medieval Manuscript Painting in Holland

Definitive in its scope and research, this volume presents analysis and a full catalogue of the over 70 known surviving manuscripts of the so-called Masters of the Dark Eyes (the name refers to the distinctive dark circles around the eyes of the figures), produced in Holland at the end of the 15th and early 16th centuries. Broekhuijsen (U. of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) devotes the first chapter to stylistic analysis, dividing the manuscripts into stylistic groupings. Subsequent chapters describe the non-figural decoration of the pages, the iconography of the images, and concludes with a detailed analysis of the dating and patronage of the manuscripts. The remainder of the volume is given over to the catalogue and over 150 pages of plates, 31 in color. The catalogue entries contain a short codicological description and numerous tables detailing the manuscript's collation, foliation, text, and subject and type of illumination. An iconographic index is included. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)