Forty miniatures of the most masterly description came into the hands of
M. Louis Brentano-Laroche, of Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Their uncommon
excellence led to a most diligent search for information respecting the
artist, which resulted in the unearthing of many other examples of his
unequalled pencil. We now know of a dozen most precious examples.
Besides the Brentano miniatures, two other fragments of the same Book of
Hours have been found, and several large and important MSS. Among these
we may name the "Antiquities of the Jews," by Josephus, in the National
Library at Paris (MSS. Des. 6891), and a Book of Hours, executed for
Marie de Cl?ve, widow of Charles Duke of Orleans, in 1472. Attributed to
him are the "Versailles" Livy (Nat. Lib., Paris, 6907); the "Sorbonne"
Livy (fds. de Sorb. 297). A Livy in the public library at Tours also
passes under his name, and the famous "Boccaccio" of Estienne Chevalier
at Munich, containing ninety miniatures, is also confidently assigned to
him. Other MSS. that are imputed to him are probably the work of his
sons or scholars.
The Paris Josephus is generally considered his masterpiece. The volume
(which contains only the first fourteen books) is in folio, written most
beautifully in two columns, and is adorned with miniatures, vignettes,
and initials, but much of its interest lies in the note at the end,
placed there by Robortet, secretary to the Due de Bourbon: "En ce livre
a douze ystoires les troys premieres de l'enlumineur du duc Jehan de
Berry, et les neuf de la main du bon paintre et enlumineur du roy Loys
XIe Jehan Foucquet, natif de Tours.
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