Hours of John the Fearless
The Book of Hours of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy was for a ruler who it was, despite his intense preoccupation with politics and intrigue time and desire to promote music, art and books. His most beautiful handwriting which was for himself and his wife, Margaret of Bavaria, created breviary ( in the British Library ) which he wore at his death with him. This, his Book of Hours is a relatively modest instance that contains the usual elements and Paris and Flemish Holy attaches the same importance in the calendar. In the intercessory prayers are unusually long invocations of St.. Leonhard included. The presence of the Holy. Leonhard may indicate a irgandwann suffered imprisonment of the owner. John of Burgundy (then Count of Nevers ) was captured after the defeat of the French crusaders in 1397 in Nikopol in Hungary together with his comrades Guy de la Trémoille and Marshal Jean de Boucicaut by the Sultan Bajazed. John's nickname goes back to his boldness during this horrific crusade. All three comrades in arms came through payment of a large ransom with their lives.
Description
A small plate of Burgundy coat of arms beneath the feet of the Holy. Andrew, in the figure above, refers to John the Fearless as owner of this Book of Hours. Andrew was the patron saint of Burgundy, and here he is surrounded by Burgundian emblems represented. Carpenters and trowel right and left of the saints ( here nailed to the cross and not, as usual, bound ) appear to be, if one does not know the circumstances under which they were taken enblême unusual for a prince.
During the period of bitter rivalry between the dukes of Orleans and Burgundy to the influence on the king Charles VI. and thus on the sovereignty of France Louis of Orléans had as an emblem to challenge a gnarled stick and the motto " Je l' Enuie " - "I challenge you " is selected. John of Burgundy replied with the planer as a threat, abzuhobeln the node from the floor of Orléans, and the trowel to humiliate his rival and to destroy, and the Flemish motto: "I houd - I keep standing ."
At the time, personal identification signs and mottoes was great importance is attached, even if we consider this childish today. John of Burgundy was so proud of the trowel that he embroidered on his robes and small models made of silver and gold along with gold shavings gave to his courtiers and servants, a truly precious gift. The background of the Andreas - miniature is littered with the same motif.
The second miniature includes a personal reference of a different kind: The Pentecostal scene is surrounded by a narrow, empty frame, which was perhaps not filled with intention and with the spiral pattern with small suns as in Andrew's miniature. In this way, the bright reason can act at the foot of the page behind the armed knight standing in a boat drawn by a swan as the sky. What is Lohengrin, son of Parsifal, to search in a Book of Hours? Where is his bride, Elsa of Brabant? The answer lies in the family of John the Fearless.
In October 1406 married his daughter Marie Adolph II de la Marck, Count of Cleves. The rulers of Cleves appealed to a descent from the legendary knight of the swan from the chivalric legends, the Lohengrin. Since Marie, was at the time of her marriage with a man of about thirty, who had just been widowed only twelve years old, the incidence of Lohengrin in the prayer book of her father may have been not only a courtesy gesture towards her future husband, but was intended to delight a little girl. Because of difficulties with the dowry Marie was postponed so long to 1415 at the court of Burgundy and their wedding. Through the interpretation of the image as Lohengrin, the manuscript can be on shortly after 1406, perhaps even dating from 1415 to 1416, when John the Fearless his daughter finally handed the Count of Kleve.
Performing artist
The two miniatures are from a workshop in Ghent or Mechelen, which created a series of books of hours, which are described by Dorothy Miner: .. all characterized by rich and powerful foliage ornament, in amusing drolleries and a capable, decorative style, which is still prevalent is Gothic.