December is the month for keeping warm indoors and for cutting wood for fires and taking it into the towns. This is shown for the Labour of the Month in the Très Riches Heures of the Duc de Berry. The scene on the left certainly looks very chilly!

To the right of the miniature a man is stamping his feet in the cold, and his head and upper body are covered with a blanket with his hands raised to his mouth, blowing on them to warm them up. The bee skeps to his right are covered in snow as is the wagon just in front of him.

Just above him the woodcutter is swinging his axe to chop down wood for the fires. It must be warm work as he has tucked his blue tunic into his waistband to show his white underpants. To his left a man and a donkey are taking the wood to the town. Note the snow covered hayrick.

Interestingly, this image of the man and donkey shows sketched lines from the underdrawing and indicate the way in which the Van Lymborch Brothers altered the final painting from that planned as they worked. The donkey is loaded either side with neatly chopped logs.

Outside the mainly white sheep with a few black ones huddle together in a wattle-walled enclosure. The roof is thatched but there is a very obvious hole which would have let in the snow. Outside birds peck at seed left on the ground, and there are bound faggots of wood ready to be put on the fire.

The people who come off best in this image are the three lucky enough to be indoors and sitting in front of a blazing fire. It is painted as though the wall of the building has been removed so we can see the scene. A woman in a glorious blue robe with a black headdress has rather primly raised her dress to her calves revealing a white underskirt. Her companions, a man and a woman sitting on what looks like a blue padded settle, are not quite so delicate – their clothes have been raised to above their knees and it is clear that they have nothing on underneath!

As with all the Labours of the Month in this magnificent book, the scene is topped with a semicircular depiction of the heavens and the appropriate signs of the Zodiac. The sun in its winged charity is painted in shades of blue with a glorious gold sun, and wends its way in the centre of the semicircle; on the outer rim, also with a blue background are the signs of Aquarius, the water carrier, and Pisces, fish swimming in opposite directions tied together forever with a cord.

As with all the  miniatures in this glorious book, it is a tour-de-force. Anyone looking at the picture would feel the chill and extreme cold in this snow scene and the figures illustrate clearly the Labours for December from those working outside and being cold to those inside and enjoying the heat.

For other Labours of the Month from this  book click for November, July, August, September, and October