Livre du cœur d'Amour épris of Rene d'Anjou - illumiantions I

Salvete Omnes,
during the later Middle Ages the tradition of the courtly love  bore a  new literary genre - the chivalric romance 'novel' told as a long allegorical poem - probably the most popular and influential was Le Roman de la Rose. Perhaps more about this important work in the future.

Good King Rene d'Anjou wrote his own courtly romance novel titled Livre du Coeur d'Amour, where a knight named Couer accompanied of Desir searched  for his ideal love, lady Douce Merci, who had been held captive by Refus, Honte et Crainte.

At this time I am interested in the illuminations for this book, and there are two manuscripts with rather very distinct  illuminations painted by two? different masters:
1. a complete one in France: Le Livre du cœur d'amour épris - BNF Fr24399‎

2. this set contains only 16 illuminations with the 24 being empy, and is held by the Austrian National Library in Vienna: Livre du cœur d'amour épris - ÖNB - Cod.Vid.2597

 I start with some of the illuminations and close ups from the French National Library folio, painted by an anonymous painter, sometimes called Maître du Cœur d'Amour épris or Maître du Retable Beaussant .


 

 
 
 
 
 

also a saddle and bit & bridle in this detail

Valete

Robinet Testard's horses and wonders from Gallica FNL

Salvete Omnes,
April is almost over, so let us have a little dose of late Medieval manuscript illuminations; for the ills and hopefully also joys of this truly strange Spring of 2020.

Below a detail showing the Amazons  from the illumination below
 
We can study and enjoy the art and imagination of Robinet Testard in the manuscript titled  Les Secrets de l'histoire naturelle contenant les merveilles et choses memorables du monde. - it is thought that he painted these  illuminations circa AD 1480-5.
Prince Henry the Navigator, the mastermind of  the Portuguese oceanic exploration and trade, was dead some two decades earlier, and his compatriots already were sailing along African western coasts, farmed Madeira and the Azores,  and in 1488AD  the Bartolomeu Dias' ships will round the Cape of Good Hope, opening the route to fabled India.
The Castillans (subjects  of queen Isabel's Castilla- Castile) conquered the Canary Islands and in coming yers she would sponsor Cristobal Colon (Columbus), who would sail his small flotilla from Sevilla in the summer of 1492AD.
In 1485 the Age of Discovery was just around the corner for maser Testard, who lived until 1530AD, and his French readers and patrons.

 The manuscript has been digitized and can be read and viewed in its entirety at Gallica French National Library. More details about the plates can he read here (in French).



 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 


Valete

Dorohostajski - munsztuki I

Salvete Omnes,
[in Polish]
imć pan Krzysztof Mikolaj Dorohostajski gościł na lamach bloga już nie jeden raz.
A jego wielkie dzieło pt''Hippika''  to jedno z niezwykłych dzieł polskich, sarmackich i hipologicznych.
Z tejże to Hippiki można wyjąc ryciny ze słynnymi kiełznami epoki konia rycerskiego, dworskiego i wojennego tj  munsztukami .
Ponizej mamy dwie rożne ryciny(z dwóch wydań)  z tym samym munsztukiem, z tzw czanka ussarską.
oto opis -
''Munsztuk otworzysty z gęsia szyją, ze dwiema tłuczkami z czanką krótką, esowatą, ussarską - daje wolność językowi wargi subtelne otwiera, pod się łamie, koniowi wolnej gęby zejdzie się - pisał ponad 400 lat temu imć pan Krzysztof.




valete

Saint George Feast Day

Salvete Omnes,

the 'evil dragon' with its foul breath has descended upon our world, and whom we should call to help?

Saint George would probably be our best champion and defender.



 
 
 
Saint George was a martyr and  here is one of many painting showing his martyrdom


 Nota bene the Old Poland's Podolian fortress city - now in Ukraine -
 
Kamieniec Podolski had Saint George spearing the dragon as the coat of arms until 1793, or the 2nd Partition of Poland.


Valete

Abraham van Calraet - dapple grey horses

Salvete Omnes,
a quick entry -
perhaps late XVII century early XVIIIc., Netherlands.
Abraham van Calraet and his two dapple grey horses with curb-bits in the interior of a stable. The painting comes from a museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

note how high the reins are tied on the post ( the right, more foreshortened  horse)

Valete

English horses by Thomas Spencer

Salvete Omnes,
short entry:
two fabulous horses painted by the equestrian painter from Great Britain - Thomas Spencer - 1700-1753, who was the 'pre-George Stubbs' epoch painter.
A Grey Hunter held by a Groom, 1751
 
Scipio, a spotted Hunter, property of Colonel Roche , 1750


 some interesting

detail from Scipio

And from the Sportsman's Dictionary (London AD 1744) comes a page with various saddles and seats described


Valete

Χριστός ἀνέστη!

Salvete Omnes,
during the times of this current calamity, at least the beauty and one's Faith are always true and eternal.
Easter Sunday is here - Χριστός ἀνέστη!
Christ is risen from the dead,
Trampling down death by death,
And upon those in the tombs
Bestowing life!

Healthy, joyful and peaceful Easter Sunday  - may tour Easter family gathering be full of laughter and delicious moments.
early XVI century Epitaph of Castellan of Nowy Sącz Jan Grot ze Słupce de Konari (more information about Grot Slupecki clan at Paprocki, Hery Rycerstwa Polskiego, p.546 and Niesiecki, Herbarz Polski, vol. VIII, p 411 ), Rawicz coat of arms, currently at Krakow National Museum.

..

and some beauties from the glory of European painting








Have you pained your pisanki this year?
Valete.