Book Series Ars Nova, vol. 12

Illuminated Crusader Histories for Philip the Good of Burgundy

Elizabeth Moodey

  • Pages: 312 p.
  • Size:190 x 250 mm
  • Illustrations:38 col.
  • Language(s):English
  • Publication Year:2012

  • € 120,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
  • ISBN: 978-2-503-51804-6
  • Hardback
  • Available


This study of the visual and literary projects that supported Philip’s efforts to launch a crusade, long after the days of the “classic” crusades, sets these manuscripts in the context of his court’s interest in history writing and updated historical romances, and against the background of the French crusading tradition and the Burgundian incarnation that succeeded it.

Review(s)

"Le beau livre d’Elizabeth J. Moodey est une nouvelle preuve de la richesse de la cour de Bourgogne, en production artistique et en propagande, dans ce cas de la croisade." (Jacques Paviot, dans: Francia-Recensio, 2014/2)

"(...) one of the great strenghts of this volume is how much Moodey has read, and she is generous in acknowledging her sources. The bibliography is extensive and will prove invaluable to anyone following her or researching a related topic." (Catherine Emerson, in: Speculum, 81/1, January 2014, p. 219)

"Elizabeth Moodey has written an elegant book with a clear and didactic structure. (...) the reader learns a lot in this beautifully written, clearly structured, and well-documented book." (Hanno Wijsman, in: Historians of Netherlandish Art, 2014, www.hnanew.org/hna/bookreview)

"Faire la recension d'un ouvrage aussi monumental d'avère particulièrement frustrant, tant il semble impossible d'en rendre en peu de mots la grande richesse. Tout ce que l'on peut tenter d'offrir alors, c'est une invitation à sa lecture, stimulante de bout en bout." (Dominique Vanwijnsberghe, dans: Revue belge d'Archéologie et d'Histoire de l'Art, LXXXII, 2014, p. 206-210)

"Ce bel ouvrage, imprimé sur papier glacé et richement illustré, intéressera les spécialistes de plusieurs domaines: historiens de l'art, du livre, de la littérature et de la politique bouguignonnes." (Maria Colombo Timelli, in: Studi Francesi [Online], 175 (LIX

I)

2015, online dal 01 aprile 2015, consultato il 04 marzo 2016. URL : http://studifrancesi.revues.org/354)

Summary

Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy from 1419 to 1467, distinguished himself as a patron of illuminated histories and historical romances, and as host of the most lavish entertainment of the middle ages. The Banquet of the Pheasant was a response to the Fall of Constantinople, and it was staged to enlist support for the coming crusade. Two splendid tributes to heroic crusaders from the duke’s family tree, commissioned in the 1450s, provide an opportunity to bring these elements of his reputation—bibliophile and would-be crusader--under the same lens. Our perception of the Charlemagne Chronicle in Brussels (BR, MS 9066-68) and the Jerusalem Chronicle in Vienna (ÖNB, Cod. 2533) is enhanced when we consider other examples of "crusade literature" and remember the perennial goal of recovering Jerusalem. This study of the visual and literary projects that supported Philip’s efforts to launch a crusade, long after the days of the "classic" crusades, sets these manuscripts in the context of his court’s interest in history writing and updated historical romances, and against the background of the French crusading tradition and the Burgundian incarnation that succeeded it.

 

Elizabeth J. Moodey is Assistant Professor at the Vanderbilt University. She teaches the history of illuminated manuscripts, the culture of the Burgundian court, and the art of medieval Europe, with an emphasis on materials and technique and questions of patronage.