The Cloister and the Hearth Chapter 1

In which we are introduced to the modest but diligent household of Elias and Catherine in 15th-century Holland, where the trials of large families and the promise of one son's artistic ambitions draw a vivid picture of ordinary lives marked by care and quiet hope. The young illuminator Gerard finds encouragement in an unexpected mentor and contends with both family and social impediments as he prepares to compete for a noble artistic prize under the patronage of the discerning Duke Philip.