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Les Enluminures
Les EnluminuresCelebrating Diana ScarisbrickSandra Hindman and Benjamin Zucker meet in New York and discuss their long relationships with Diana Scarisbrick and their shared interest in historic rings.  On this day, the day before Diana's funeral in London (to be held on February 5), they celebrate Diana's life, her interests, and recall her special approach to two groups of rings as included in her fascinating book, an essential guide to Rings, Jewelry of Power, Love, and Loyalty (2007, repr. 2013), described as "equal parts eye-candy and wow-inducing art-history lesson."
2025-02-0410 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresTimeless Treasures: 10 Manuscripts to Celebrate 10 Years in New YorkOur 50th podcast celebrates Les Enluminures’s Ten Years in New York. Join President and Founder Sandra Hindman and Helen Allen, Executive Director of New York’s celebrated art fair The Winter Show, as they discuss all things New York-related. They explore the history of the New York gallery space, the anniversary exhibition ‘Timeless Treasures,’ plans for the future, amongst much more.    The exhibition "Timeless Treasures: 10 Manuscripts to Celebrate 10 Years in New York" runs through December 21, 2022. www.lesenluminures.com
2022-11-2120 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThinking Broadly:  Rolls, Codices, Codicology, Connoisseurship, Paleography, and Media ”Revolutions” with Sonja DrimmerJoin host Sandra Hindman and Sonja Drimmer on a special episode of the Les Enluminures podcast! Sandra and Sonja sit down to discuss her most recent article in Speculum “Connoisseurship, Art History and the Paleographical Impasse in Middle English Studies,” as well as her recent work on the “rollodex,” framing the relationship between hybrid parchment objects living between the roll and the codex. Drimmer is an associate professor at U Mass Amherst specializing in medieval European art with expertise in illuminated manuscripts and early print. She received her BA from Brown University and PhD from Columbia University. Drimmer’...
2022-05-2656 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresEnameling TechniquesWith an effect like melted glass, enamel work creates stunning, colorful effects on sculptures, enlivening their surfaces. Today, we take a look at the history and various technical processes of enameling. Covering cloisonné, champlevé, and enamel in ronde-bosse, we also examine works in the Les Enluminures collection which demonstrate these varied enameling techniques, including works by Castellani, Baroque rings, and Giuliano’s painted enamel.    Resources: Les Enluminures Castellani Quatrefoil Brooch  Castellani Brooch at the British Museum   Heart-Shaped Pendant with Cherub by Guliano   Love Ring with Bow and Flowers 
2022-04-1521 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Winter Show: A HistoryToday we discuss the history of the Winter Show and philanthropic culture in the United States with Kristen Racaniello and Sandra Hindman. Tune in and discover the origins of the exhibition, the history of gifting in the USA, and hear about Sandra’s delightful journey to participating in the Winter Show. You can join us at the Winter Show in booth 1-11 starting today, Thursday March 31 to Sunday April 10. Regular hours begin at 12:00 but closing times vary. We hope to see you there!    Resources: Les Enluminures at the Winter Show The Wint...
2022-03-3116 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresMargins and Monsters with Sherry LindquistJoin our founder and host Sandra Hindman as she discusses the monstrous, marginalia and determining the center with Sherry Lindquist, co-author of Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders. This interview coincides with the topic of our Chicago gallery exhibition, “The Margins of Medieval Art: Questioning the Center,” which is open through March 30th. What are Sandra and Sherry’s favorite monsters? What determines if an image or subject is “central” to a manuscript folio or pushed to its borders? How does gender, sex, and “monsterizing” play a role in creating margins that frame, subvert, or support the center? Find out on this episod...
2022-03-1742 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Secret Best Seller: MiseryShocking as it may be a medieval bestseller was misery. That text, On the Misery of the Human Condition, is the subject of our podcast today. It was written by a soon-to-be Pope and remained wildly popular for five hundred years before mysteriously dropping out of favor. This text is filled with insights into the Medieval perspective through the meditations of Pope Innocent III, and our manuscript, TM557, is a classic example of the popularity of the Misery throughout time. It is an important historical record and a must-read text for anyone interested in medieval history and life.  
2022-03-0329 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresWhat is a Medieval Bestseller?One of the most common, special objects that we have at Les Enluminures is the Book of Hours. Often, the Book of Hours is called the medieval “bestseller.” But what, exactly, does that mean? What determines if a book was “popular” or “best-selling” in the medieval world? How can we possibly know what was made most frequently in the Middle Ages? Find out answers to these questions today on the Les Enluminures Podcast.   Resources:  On the success of Latin texts in the Middle Ages http://fama.irht.cnrs.fr/en/en/more  P...
2022-02-1721 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresTime, Desire, & Revival JewelsToday we explore the gap in time between historical events and the present. Between then and now is a gap that creates desire and longing for contact. Creative attempts to close that gap produced a series of “revivalist” movements in the nineteenth century. Through our current exhibition “Ideal Jewels” we discuss the rise of art jewelry, the Pre-Raphaelites, and how revival iconography connects with the present day. What did St. Augustine and Aristotle think about time? What materials did revival jewelers use to research their designs? How can we connect the Victorian era with the medieval period? Find out today on...
2022-02-0435 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresWatermarks & Paper MakingPaper makers in Fabriano developed the use of wire-made signs as identifying marks in the Middle Ages. Today we call these impressions “watermarks”— the papermakers’ logo and calling card. Find out more about the history and development of papermaking and watermarks in some of the oldest medieval paper mills and discover their use in identifying the provenance and production of medieval manuscripts and drawings.  Resources: Fabriano Paper in Library of Congress Collections TM 1181:  Carthusian Ordinarium for the Mass and Office
2022-01-2125 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresA History of the Destruction of TroyIn this discussion of our mid-fifteenth century copy of Guido da Colomna’s Historia destructionis Troiae (History of the Destruction of Troy) we cover the history of the Sibylline Oracle, the Middle English copies of the Troiae, and the composition of our manuscript. We chat about the role of the scribe/author in creating the histories of Troy, why there is such a revival of interest in the Trojan war in the medieval period, and the interesting addition of the Sibylline text at the very end of the codex.  Resources: GUIDO DA COLOMNA, Historia destructionis Troiae (History of...
2022-01-1420 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresStenciled Choir BooksToday we will cover a fascinating early printing process, still in wide use today–– stenciling! Beginning with the history of the stencil and moving into the use of stencils in choir books, this podcast will cover the basic processes of stenciling, discussing how they developed and were used in sacred and secular settings. From the Carthusians to Pablo Picasso, stencils have been used in art for centuries as pattern making tools that create beautiful, crisp images and lines.    Resources: Eric Kindel, (2019) “Stencil: a descriptive bibliography.” Éditions à jour Choir Book with Selecte...
2022-01-0620 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresNew Year’s Gifting & the MagiThe new year is a time that has inspired gifting and exchange throughout history in recognition of new beginnings. Yet, the date of New years has moved around frequently as calendars have shifted and it has been celebrated in many different ways. Today, we take a look at some of the different celebrations that occurred in medieval Europe, ending with a quick look at an iconic moment of gifting painted in many Books of Hours: the Adoration of the Magi. What were medieval joyaux and what does Quasimodo have to do with new years celebrations? Find out today on...
2021-12-3030 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresMedieval Nativity Scenes & Christmas DecorationsAll around the world glittering decorations and lawn sculptures are appearing as December 25th draws near. Have you ever wondered why we associate twinkling lights, holly, or lawn sculptures with Christmas celebrations? Why are animals always included in depictions of the Nativity? Is there a reason the Virgin Mary is often depicted kneeling beside her son right after giving birth? Find out about medieval nativity illuminations, the history of the sculptural crèche and the origins of Christmas decorations today on the Les Enluminures podcast.   Resources:  Neapolitan Crèche, 18th century, Art Institute of C...
2021-12-2320 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Annunciation and Life of the VirginChristmas season is upon us and as the day approaches, we will examine a few different, special types of images associated with the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ. Today we discuss the very first major illumination in the hours of the Virgin: the Annunciation. When did annunciation images become so popular? How can these images help us see some of the philosophical debates at the turn of the sixteenth century? A subject particularly concerned with vision, manifestation, and light, how can we see combinations of “Renaissance” and “Gothic” mentalities in the composition of Annunciation paintings? Find out today on the L...
2021-12-1616 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresBasic Gemstone CuttingToday we cover some important jewelry production basics: gemstone cutting or lapidary. Do you know the difference between a cabochon and a raw stone? Why do we continue to use cabochon stones today? And what inspired lapidarists to begin making those iconic, geometric planes we call ‘facets’?  Find out today on the Les Enluminures podcast.    Resources:  Byzantine Gemstone Ring set with an Amethyst Renaissance Marriage Portrait Cameo Ring  
2021-12-1019 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresRenaissance Pendants, Painting, and FashionFashion blossomed during the Renaissance with elaborate, fantastical costumes and luxurious jewelry. Today, we take a look at one type of wearable Renaissance artwork; the portrait pendant. What is a pendant? How was the Renaissance concept of fashion different from our own? And who made these luxurious objects?    Resources Pendant with Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven Metropolitan Museum of Art Commesso Pendant 
2021-12-0217 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresFEASTSWinter is a time for holiday celebrations, family, and food. As the winter fast approaches in this last November episode we consider feasts and feasting. This was an important topic for medieval people that was frequently the subject of manuscript illumination. What is the origin of the term “feast,” and who could host a feast? What makes ‘feast days’ so important to understanding medieval life? And why did Jesus turn water into wine? Find out today, on the Les Enluminures podcast.  Resources: How to cook a medieval feast: 11 recipes from the Middle Ages  Hours of Guillaume...
2021-11-2419 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresSacred MeasurementsMedieval measurement developed as a bodily reference tool, often relying on an object’s relationship to the human body to determine its size, scale or weight. Today, measurement may seem like a natural part of our lives, but have you ever wondered how a unit of space or volume was developed? What made medieval measurement so different from the way we conceive of measurement today? And what made measurement sacred to medieval people? 
2021-11-1823 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresTime, Daylight, and a November CalendarShort winter days are now upon us. Usually we don’t consider the actual day to be shortened, however. There may be less daylight, but the measure of the day does not change throughout the year. Why is this? The transition between seasons often makes us more aware of time and the absurd ways we choose to apportion time during the day. Why do we structure our days around dates and increments instead of around feasts and labor? How were days and hours understood in the medieval period? Was time measured differently durring the Middle Ages in comparison to co...
2021-11-1223 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Biography of a Book of HoursObjects survive long after their original owners have passed away, living an extensive, dramatic, and often colorful life as they pass from owner to owner. This social life is often referred to as an object’s “biography.” Join us today to explore object biography and the life of a special book of hours this week in the Les Enluminures podcast. We will explore the history of a previously unknown and unpublished book of hours.  This manuscript is a discovery that comes to us from Lyons’ Golden Age, one of the most important centers for culture and industry in Europe at the ti...
2021-11-0427 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresCharms! Spoken spells & manuscript prayersLife in the Medieval period was difficult, filled with spiritual and physical hardships. Medieval people coped with their often difficult situations through ritual and, sometimes, through magic! In this last episode of October, we return to our text manuscripts to examine charms. What are charms? How do we define them within the spectrum of verbal magic? What is the difference between a charm and an amulet? Find out on this episode of the Les Enluminures Podcast.   Resources: Illustrated Textual Amulet TM797 Oratione devotissima (Devotional Prayers) Amulet Rolls and female d...
2021-10-2832 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Office of the DeadThe Office of the Dead is a crucial inclusion in the Book of Hours, but it is often ignored when it comes to discussions of manuscript illumination. Today we discuss the use and history of the Office of the Dead. Why is the Office of the Dead included in Books of Hours? How is the office of the dead related to the rise of trick-or-treating on Halloween? And why did the Office of the Dead develop? Who used this prayer cycle, and why?     Resources The “Ideal Death” in a Book of Hours Book...
2021-10-2217 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresMedieval TalismansContinuing our October season programming, today we examine a pectoral cross and the “Talisman” of Charlemagne. Just what was a medieval amulet? Did the church accept the use of talismans and charms? Who used and wore precious stones? What is the difference between a textual amulet and a material one? Find out the answers to these questions and many others in today's episode. Resources: Reliquary Pendant with Christ on the Cross The Talisman of Charlemagne: New Historical and Gemological Discoveries ​​
2021-10-1533 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresA Chiromancy Manuscript!Today, we kick off our October season programming by exploring Manuscript TM111:  Dell’idea del futuro, or On the idea of Future, an unpublished treatise on chiromancy. What is Chiromancy and how is it related to fortune telling? Can you read and use this manuscript yourself? How is Chiromancy related to Carl Jung? Find out in today’s episode.  Resources: Les Enluminures TM1111: Dell’idea del futuro (On the idea of Future; unpublished treatise on chiromancy)  Britannica “Palmistry”
2021-10-0718 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresWhat‘s the difference between an Author and a Scribe?Scribes were key players in the recording and preservation of knowledge in the medieval period. But who were they? What did they do and how did they live? What distinguishes a scribe from an author, and what professions most closely resemble the role of the medieval scribe today? Find out this week on the Les Enluminures podcast.  Resources:  The Medieval Scribe and the Art of Writing: https://ultimatehistoryproject.com/the-medieval-scribe.html  Books:  Timothy O’Neill, The Irish Hand: Scribes and Their Manuscripts from the Earliest Times to the Seventeenth Century With an Exempl...
2021-09-3015 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresParchment, Papyrus, & Paper: Composing ManuscriptsAt the core, a medieval manuscript is composed of bifolia sewn together and bound. But what materials were these pages made of and how does that affect the way you should treat your manuscripts today? Listen in as we discuss paper, parchment, papyrus, amate and wax tablet manufacture during the process of making a manuscript. We will provide some helpful tips on parchment preservation and suggest a few details to look for when trying to identify parchment or paper.    Resources: On holes and repairs in manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum: ​​https://www.themor...
2021-09-2318 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresWhat is a Text Manuscript?Laura Light, director and senior specialist, Text Manuscripts at Les Enluminures, takes a moment today to discuss Les Enluminure’s textmanuscripts.com. What is a text manuscript, and what makes them different from illuminated manuscripts with text? Who buys text manuscripts and how are they used now? Join Laura to discover the answers to these and many other questions. She also discusses the details of some of her favorite manuscripts currently offered for sale on the text manuscript site including an eleventh-century French Pontifical with a text detailing the reconsecration of a sacred space where blood has been spilled, tw...
2021-09-1612 minLes Enluminures
Les Enluminures”Touching the Book” with Kathryn RudyToday, Dr. Kathryn Rudy speaks with host Sandra Hindman on a fascinating range of topics related to “touching” the book as well as the innovative techniques she has developed in her forensic approach to the study of manuscripts. Kathryn Rudy pioneered the use of the densitometer to measure the grime that original readers deposited in their books, but today she delves even further into her creative application of additional techniques such as RAK (Raking light) technologies to solve problems posed by “big dirty books” and the grubby face stains in books of hours. From her childhood discovery of inadvertent marks to...
2021-09-0947 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresDid Medieval people wear Relics?Medieval jewelry was luxurious and costly. It was a treasured element of an individual’s sense of community, identity and of course a display of status. But why might medieval people conceal little fragments of bone, skin, or hair inside of these gorgeous objects? How did this container function, and what made these tiny, portable and wearable reliquaries different from display reliquaries found in churches and shrines?   Sources: Meaningful Jewels: https://www.lesenluminures.com/publications/3-the-thing-of-mine-i-have-loved-the-text-by-cynthia-hahn-with-beatriz-chadour-sampson./  Treasures of Heaven: https://projects.mcah.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/relics/Reliquary-Pendant-76.php  https://projects.mcah.columb...
2021-09-0215 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresIntroduction to Iconographic RingsWe all live with jewelry and encounter historical examples in paintings, photographs and pop culture. Yet, many types of historical jewelry are unknown because they have simply not been studied. Join Sandra Hindman today as she discusses a little known type of ring: the iconographic ring. What are these precious objects? How did they come to be named and what are they made from? Who would have worn these intimate medieval jewels? And what kind of iconography do we find on iconographic rings? View our jewelry inventory on our website at: https://www.lesenluminures.com/ancient-jewelry-medieval-rings-and-necklaces-for-sale/
2021-08-2613 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresManuscript Production: Illuminating MaterialsIn this episode we cover the basic processes around the three most important materials applied to the parchment page: gold, ink, and pigment. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a dye and a paint? How did scribes and artists cut their quills and make their brushes? And how, exactly, did medieval artists make their manuscripts shimmer and sparkle with gold?
2021-08-1925 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresCelebrating 30 Years: Sandra’s Favorite CataloguesHave you ever wondered which catalogues our Founder and President, Sandra Hindman, loves the most? Find out this week as she discusses two of her most favored catalogues and their contents, discussing everything from the colors the ancient Romans preferred, rose colored glasses, Hebrew manuscripts, Dora Maar, and her work reconstructing the life of an important medieval artist.
2021-08-1213 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresManuscript Production Part 1: What is a Manuscript?How did manuscript books come to be? What is a Manuscript? How does a manuscript differ from a printed book? Join us today in this introductory mini episode for an overview of the organization and production of medieval manuscripts from the monastic scriptorium to university stationers. 
2021-08-0515 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresRare Hands: How, Where, and What People Wrote with Marc SmithFrom Roman inscriptions to digital typography, the study of handwriting and Latin scripts spans centuries and requires a deep knowledge of materials from copper plates to parchment, rings, wax and digital tablets. Join us today as our host Sandra Hindman sits down with Marc Smith, Professor of Paleography at the Ecole des Chartes in Paris to explore the history of handwriting. Have you ever wondered who studies the history and art of handwriting? How did medieval people learn to write, and why has handwriting fallen out of contemporary school curricula? What is the relationship between handwriting and renaissance ring...
2021-07-2651 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Burke Collection of Italian Manuscript PaintingsFilled with high quality paintings by notable Renaissance artists, the outstanding Burke Collection of Italian miniatures is the subject of this podcast.  Sandra Hindman sits down to discuss her work on the newly published Burke Collection catalogue with her co-editor Federica Toniolo and with Gaudenz Freuler. Federica Toniolo is Professor of the history of illuminated manuscripts and medieval art at the University of Padua and co-author of the recent catalogue of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, among many other important publications.  Gaudenz Freuler is Professor Emerita at the University of Zurich and is a world-renowned expert on Italian mi...
2021-05-0646 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresBooks of Hours Explained by Sandra Hindman with Richard Davies of AbeBooksThey were the bestsellers of the Middle Ages. In this episode, our host Sandra Hindman of Les Enluminures sits down with Richard Davies of AbeBooks to discuss books of hours. Sandra explains the contours of the bestseller: what books of hours contained, who owned them, how they were decorated and the purpose they served. These paraliturgical manuscripts provided access to private, personalized devotion. Sandra Hindman discusses the materiality of these manuscripts, the painting process for illuminations, and some of the most famous historical stories involving books of hours.   Published by Abe Books March 8, 2021
2021-04-2136 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresChristine de Pizan's Workshop with Inès Villela-PetitWho is Christine de Pizan? Most know of her as a prolific medieval author, or at least know that she found a seat at Judy Chicago’s table. But how did she work and procure materials? Who worked for her and with her? How did she select her illuminators? Did she deal directly with the Queen? Find out with author and art historian Inès Villela-Petit and our host Sandra Hindman as they discuss the discoveries produced by Villela-Petit’s monograph on Christine de Pizan’s workshop, L'atelier de Christine de Pizan. They uncover the material processes behind the scenes...
2021-04-1536 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresHow Did a Medievalist Become President and CEO of the Met?Today host Sandra Hindman speaks with the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Daniel Weiss. How has his development as a scholar, medievalist and author affected his work as a businessman and CEO? What is the future of museums and institutions following this virtual shift to art in the age of COVID-19? Weiss gives listeners insight into the inner workings of the Met and remarks on topics related to his many publications, from his work on cultural interactions in the age of crusade to his two most recent unpublished projects. The first is a biographical work...
2021-03-0341 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Illuminated World Chronicle with Nina RoweIn this episode Dr. Nina Rowe discusses her latest book The Illuminated World Chronicle: Tales from the Late Medieval City with our host Sandra Hindman. They discuss some of the thrilling and often titillating stories found in World Chronicle manuscripts including the tale of the Devil on Noah’s Ark. Dr. Rowe has uncovered the deep connections these texts have to the cities in which they were produced, and has found evidence of racial and ethnic diversity, curiosity, and intermingling in these late medieval German cities. In many ways the World Chronicle was structured like a medieval version of th...
2021-01-1439 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresMasterpiece and the Future of Art FairsToday our host Sandra Hindman, founder and President of Les Enluminures, checks in with Chairman of the Masterpiece Fair Philip Hewat-Jaboor from his residence in the Channel Islands. They discuss his early love of art and youthful career working for Sotheby’s, as well as the burning question on all of our minds: how will art fairs survive and thrive in the digital age?  If you are curious about the origins of crafting an (entirely digital) art fair, this podcast will help guide you through the thought process Masterpiece has undergone in the past few months. Ultimately our...
2020-06-1831 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresDiana Scarisbrick: 50 years of Jewelry ExpertiseRenowned jewelry historian Diana Scarisbrick discusses the origins of her interest in jewelry with host Sandra Hindman in this podcast recorded between London and Chicago. They discuss her early, formative interactions with rings through S. J. Philips, the antique jewelry shop founded in 1869. From there they move into a discussion of the importance of working directly with objects, Scarisbrick’s extensive writing on jewelry and the adventures she has had traveling the world to work with collectors, dealers, museums, and libraries, and even her work as a translator for the French Navy. Diana Scarisbrick remembers her interactions with Joan Ev...
2020-06-0333 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresMay Flowers at the Met Cloisters Gardens with Marc Montefusco, Managing HorticulturistBudding spring gardens and May flowers inspired our host Sandra Hindman to sit down with Marc Montefusco, the Managing Horticulturist of the Medieval Gardens at the Met Cloisters. In today’s conversation, they discuss the three gardens at the Cloisters (the Cuxa Cloister garden, the Bonnefont Cloister garden, and the Trie Cloister garden) the history of the gardens as an integral element of the Met Cloisters design, and the history of medieval gardening and medieval flora. Each garden’s plantings are based on information found in documents and works of art from the Middle Ages, and Marc Montefusco discusses the...
2020-05-1927 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresRichard Davies of AbeBooks interviews Sandra Hindman: a glimpse at Les Enluminures' owner and founderRichard Davies of AbeBooks, the pioneering ecommerce bookseller, interviews Sandra Hindman for Les Enluminures' first crossover podcast with Behind the Bookshelves.  His interesting profile of her includes questions and answers such as:  Does she think of herself as an academic, a bookseller, an art expert, or what?  When and why did she start her business? How does she find her material? What does medieval jewelry have to do with medieval manuscripts?  What are a few of her favorite things? What is a book of hours? And, finally, what is she reading? This conversation was published by Abe Book...
2020-04-0932 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresJan van Eyck and Manuscript IlluminationJan van Eyck has “never not been famous.” The most gifted Flemish court painter is the subject of today’s podcast, prompted by the recent exhibition Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. Host Sandra Hindman sits down with two leading scholars working on van Eyck; Dominique Vanwijnsberghe and Lieve de Kesel. They discuss both scholar’s contributions to the catalogue Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution, and cover some of the most pressing questions concerning the artist. Was van Eyck a manuscript illuminator as well as a painter? The answer rests within the Turin-Mi...
2020-03-2342 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresExperiencing Medieval Art with Herbert KesslerSensory studies and the immersive experience of art is a budding topic among contemporary scholars. Herbert Kessler’s recent publication Experiencing Medieval Art offers readers of all levels easy entry to the most complex topics in current medieval art history. An unusual exploration of the triumphs and the faults of the traditional Medieval survey text, Kessler’s revised edition of Seeing Medieval Art goes beyond the complex material arguments presented there and delves into questions of objecthood, aesthetics, and performative materials. With host Sandra Hindman, Herbert Kessler contemplates his most influential relationships in the scholastic world, his motivation for prod...
2020-02-0540 minLes Enluminures
Les Enluminures50 Years at the Morgan Library featuring William VoelkleFrom the shoemakers of the Black forest to J.P. Morgan’s mansion, today William “Bill” Voelkle reflects on his fifty-year career at the Morgan Library and Museum with host Sandra Hindman. They discuss his early interest in science and mathematics as well as the Northern Renaissance course that changed his life. Voelkle’s early work at Columbia University with Meyer Schapiro and Julius Held, and later his acquisition of an unexpected but cherished position at the Morgan Library and Museum are just the beginning of the conversation, which covers everything from Bill’s favorite exhibition, to the most unusual an...
2020-01-3052 minLes Enluminures
Les Enluminures“The Power of Love” featuring Beatriz Chadour-SampsonFor centuries, the power of love has been expressed through the bestowal of objects conveying deep affection, eternal commitment, or passionate desire. Today, Sandra Hindman and Beatriz Chadour-Sampson discuss The Power of Love, Chadour-Sampson’s new book on the history of amorous inspirations for novel jewelry vocabularies and historical revivals. Egyptian amulets, Rome, the Middle Ages, Shakesphere, and the sudden popularity of bio-jewelry, as well as the author’s early childhood experiences with the process of crafting jewelry are all covered in this exclusive interview with Beatriz Chadour-Sampson.  This conversation was recorded in London on December 4th, 2019.
2019-12-1816 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Collector and the DealerFor their final discussion of Diamonds, Sandra Hindman and Benjamin Zucker consider their roles and relationship as dealer and collector in bringing this historical exhibition to fruition. Beginning with childhood recollections of stamps and postcard collecting, it quickly becomes apparent that the space between dealer and collector is uniquely blurred for both parties. Dr. Hindman discusses her past as a teacher and touches on her current collecting practices, while Benjamin Zucker articulates his Museé Imaginaire and describes its origins in the published reproductions of collectors catalogues.  As fields, collecting and dealing live within a spectrum of fantastic im...
2019-11-2647 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresThe Four C’s and Historic Diamonds"Carat (or weight), Cut, Color, and Clarity” are the topics of discussion in today’s Les Enluminures podcast. Host and Les Enluminures President Sandra Hindman introduces John King, the Chief Quality Officer of the GIA (the Gemological Institute of America). They cover how the classification system used for diamonds now differs from considerations applicable to historical stones; discussing early diamond cutting experiments and techniques, the relationship between colored diamonds and contemporary art, the growing atomic life of diamonds, and even ruminating on what King’s observational skills as a gemologist share with his skills as an artist and draftsman. ...
2019-11-2042 minLes Enluminures
Les EnluminuresA Diamond Life, Featuring Benjamin ZuckerToday, Sandra Hindman is in conversation with Benjamin Zucker— a leading New York based dealer of diamonds and precious stones. They discuss his creative journey from youthful writer to prominent collector after becoming enamored by the dazzling nature of diamonds. From colored diamonds to Charles II’s bodkin (a gift to his mistress Nell Gwyn), this talk covers many of the elements of Benjamin Zucker's experience as a professional dealer and passionate collector. This conversation took place within the exhibition Diamonds at Les Enluminures, NY, on October 24, 2019.
2019-11-1437 min