The Anatomy of Man - Limbourg Brothers, 1412. (Medieval Wall Art)
This vintage art print shows a standing human figure inside an oval frame of deep blue and gold. Around the body you see small zodiac signs and tiny figures, all painted in rich color on a warm parchment style background. It has a strong, mystical look that works well as wall art in a study, reading corner or bedroom, especially next to books, candles and darker wood furniture.
About this art print
This print is based on The Anatomy of Man (also called the Anatomical or Zodiac Man), a miniature from the famous book of hours Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, created for the Duke of Berry by the Limbourg brothers in the early 15th century. The image shows how medieval people linked the body to the stars. Each zodiac sign is placed next to the part of the body it was believed to influence, starting with Pisces at the feet and moving up to Aries at the head.
Inside the oval, two overlapping figures stand in a blue space filled with small floating forms, a mix of anatomy, astrology and symbolism. Text around the borders connects the zodiac to the four humours, the winds and ideas about character, turning the picture into a small lesson in medieval medical astrology. In the corners you can see the arms of the Duke of Berry, a reminder that this was made for a specific patron, not as a classroom chart.
The same mix of science and devotion runs through other pages of the Très Riches Heures, where calendar scenes, saints and small astronomical diagrams sit side by side. This miniature has become one of the best known images from the manuscript and is often used today to show how people in the Middle Ages pictured the link between the human body and the heavens. You can see a similar way of organising the sky in works like the 16th century Geocentric Zodiacal Calendar by Francesco Ghisolfi, where the heavens are arranged in tight circles around the earth so they read almost like a working model of the cosmos.
Craft & finish
This vintage art print is made on hand processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface catches the light softly, which suits the deep blues and reds of the original miniature, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art collection.
The Anatomy of Man (Limbourg Brothers, 1412.) - Vintage Art Print
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage:
https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
