Thursday, April 30, 2020

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

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