The Cultural and Political Legacy of Anne de Bretagne: Negotiating Convention in Books and Documents

242 Pages·2010·3.9 MB·English

by  Cynthia J. Brown

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As duchess of Brittany (1491–1514) and twice queen NU THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL
of France (1491–98; 1498–1514), Anne de Bretagne EL
set a benchmark by which to measure the status of DT LEGACY OF ANNE DE BRETAGNE
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female authority in Europe at the dawn of the E
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Negotiating Convention in Books and Documents
pawn, when men who ruled her life were involved in RL
reshaping European alliances, Anne was directly or E A
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indirectly involved with the principal political and AN
religious European leaders of her time and helped GD
define the cultural landscape of her era. N
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Taking a variety of cross-disciplinary perspectives, EO
these ten essays by art historians, literary specialists, L
historians, and political scientists contribute to the I
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ongoing discussion of Anne de Bretagne and seek I
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to prompt further investigations into her cultural
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and political impact. At the same time, they offer
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insight of a broader nature into related areas of
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intellectual interest –patronage, the history of the E
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interpretation of politico-cultural documents and A
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nature of Anne’s legacy.
CYNTHIA J. BROWN is Professor of French at
the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Gallica
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY, USA
www.boydell.co.uk
www.boydellandbrewer.com
Gallica
Volume 16
THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL LEGACY
OF ANNE DE BRETAGNE
NEGOTIATING CONVENTION IN BOOKS
AND DOCUMENTS
As duchess of Brittany [1491–1514] and twice queen of France [1491–
98; 1498–1514], Anne de Bretagne set a benchmark by which to measure
the status of female authority in Europe at the dawn of the Renaissance.
Although at times a traditional political pawn, when men who ruled her
life were involved in reshaping European alliances, Anne was directly
or indirectly involved with the principal political and religious European
leaders of her time and helped define the cultural landscape of her era.
Taking a variety of cross-disciplinary perspectives, these ten essays
by art historians, literary specialists, historians, and political scientists
contribute to the ongoing discussion of Anne de Bretagne and seek to
prompt further investigations into her cultural and political impact. At
the same time, they offer insight of a broader nature into related areas of
intellectual interest – patronage, the history of the book, the power and
definition of queenship and the interpretation of politico-cultural docu-
ments and court spectacles – thereby confirming the extensive nature
of Anne's legacy.
Cynthia J. Brown is Professor of French at the University of California,
Santa Barbara.
Gallica
ISSN 1749–091X
General Editor: Sarah Kay
Gallica aims to provide a forum for the best current work in medieval French
studies. Literary studies are particularly welcome and preference is given to works
written in English, although publication in French is not excluded.
Proposals or queries should be sent in the first instance to the editor, or to the
publisher, at the addresses given below; all submissions receive prompt and informed
consideration.
Professor Sarah Kay, Department of French and Italian, Princeton University, 303
East Pyne, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
The Managing Editor, Gallica, Boydell & Brewer Ltd., PO Box 9, Woodbridge,
Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
Previously published titles in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL
LEGACY OF ANNE DE BRETAGNE
NEGOTIATING CONVENTION IN BOOKS
AND DOCUMENTS
Edited by
CYNTHIA J. BROWN
D. S. BREWER
© Contributors 2010
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
First published 2010
D. S. Brewer, Cambridge
ISBN 978–1–84384–223–1
D. S. Brewer is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy of
URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate
A catalogue record for this title is available
from the British Library
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
Printed in Great Britain by
CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations vii
List of Contributors ix
List of Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
Cynthia J. Brown
Part I The Politics of Bookmaking in Fifteenth- and Sixteenth-Century
Brittany: Cooperation and Competition between France and the Queen’s
Duchy
1 The Book Trade in and beyond the Duchy of Brittany during the 11
Reign of Anne de Bretagne
Diane E. Booton
2 The Printed Book in Brittany during the Reign of Anne de Bretagne 29
Malcolm Walsby
Part II The Politics of Literary and Religious Traditions: How Books
(Re)Defined the Queen
3 Anthoine Vérard’s Reframing of Christine de Pizan’s Doctrine for 47
Anne de Bretagne
Lori J. Walters
4 Mentoring Noble Ladies: Antoine Dufour’s Vies des femmes célèbres 65
Michelle Szkilnik
5 Penitence, Motherhood, and Passion Devotion: Contextualizing 81
Anne de Bretagne’s Prayer Book, Chicago, Newberry Library, MS 83
Elizabeth L’Estrange
Part III Anne’s Cultural and Political Legacy to Claude: Harmonies and
Tensions in Two Queenships
6 Like Mother, Like Daughter: The Blurring of Royal Imagery in 101
Books for Anne de Bretagne and Claude de France
Cynthia J. Brown
7 Claude de France: In her Mother’s Likeness, a Queen with Symbolic 123
Clout?
Kathleen Wilson-Chevalier
Part IV The Cultural and Political Legacies of Negotiations and Rituals:
Contesting Convention
8 Revisiting Anne de Bretagne’s Queenship: On Love and Bridles 147
Nicole Hochner
9 Anne de Bretagne, A Woman of State 163
Michel Nassiet
10 Order and Disorder in the Life and Death of Anne de Bretagne 177
Elizabeth A. R. Brown
Appendix The Children of Anne de Bretagne 193
Bibliography 195
Index 219
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Cover Illustration: Claude de Seyssel presents his Louenges du roi Louis XII
to Anne de Bretagne (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Rés. Vélins
2780, frontispiece) Bibliothèque nationale de France
Figures
1. Raspberries and daisies in the Grandes Heures of Anne de Bretagne, 12
Jean Bourdichon, Tours, c.1502–08 (Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de
France, MS lat. 9474, fol. 204r). Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France
2. Arms of Brittany and crowned initial of Anne de Bretagne, Bible, 18
Nantes, 1510 (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 11518,
fol. 91r). Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France
3. Upper register: Dame Cristine receives the visit of Doctrine, Justice 50
and Raison; Lower register: Vérard presents his book to Anne de Bretagne
(Vienna, ÖNB,.Ink.3.D.19, fol. 1v). Austrian National Library Vienna,
Picture Archiv + Signature
4. Christine greets the Three Virtues in the opening scene of the Trois 58
Vertus (Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, MS fr. 9235–37, fol. 136r).
5. Opening of the Penitential Psalms (Annunciation and King David), 82
Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne (Chicago, Newberry Library, MS 83,
fol. 1r)
6. Christ Crucified, Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne (Chicago, 84
Newberry Library, MS 83, fol. 40v).
7. Dauphin (Charles-Orland) at Prayer, Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne 88
(New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, MS M.50, fol. 31r). The Pierpont
Morgan Library, New York, MS M.50, fols 30v–31r
8. Angels holding the Crown of Thorns, Prayer Book of Anne de Bretagne 94
(New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, MS M.50, fol. 30r). The Pierpont
Morgan Library, New York, MS M.50, fols 29v–30r
9. Louis XII complains to Reason about the lack of a male heir, Petrarch, 102
Remèdes de l’une ou l’autre Fortune (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de
France, MS fr. 225, fol. 165r). Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France
10. The engagement of Claude de France and François Ier, Jean d’Auton, 104
Chroniques de Louis XII (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS
fr. 5083 fol. 1v). Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France
11. Anne de Bretagne (alias Juno) receives Lemaire’s book from 106
Mercury, Jean Lemaire de Belges, Troisième livre des illustrations et
singularitez de France orientalle et occidentalle (Bern, Burgerbibliothek,
Cod. 241, fol. 1r). Burgerbibliothek Bern, Cod. 241, fol. 1r
12. Claude de France receives her mother’s Funeral Book from the 116
author, Pierre Choque, Commémoration de la mort de madame Anne …
Royne de France (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS fr. 25158,
fol. 3v). Cliché Bibliothèque nationale de France
13. St Anne teaching the Virgin Mary to read – the Annunciation to 126
St Anne, Master of Claude de France, Prayer Book of Queen Claude de
France, Master of Claude de France, c.1517. The Pierpont Morgan Library,
New York. Gift of Mrs Alexandre P. Rosenberg in memory of her husband
Alexandre Paul Rosenberg, 2008. MS M.1166, fol. 42r. Images courtesy of
Faksimile Verlag Luzern, www.faksimile.ch
14. Holy Family, Raphael, 1518 (Paris, Musée du Louvre, Inv. 604). 132
Photo RMN/ ©Gérard Blot / Jean Schormans
15. Christ chasing the merchants from the Temple – Prayer Book of 135
Queen Claude de France, Master of Claude de France, c.1517. The
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Gift of Mrs Alexandre P. Rosenberg
in memory of her husband Alexandre Paul Rosenberg, 2008. MS M.1166,
fol. 6v. Images courtesy of Faksimile Verlag Luzern, www.faksimile.ch
15a. Christ chasing the merchants from the Temple (detail) – Prayer 136
Book of Queen Claude de France, Master of Claude de France, c.1517. The
Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Gift of Mrs Alexandre P. Rosenberg
in memory of her husband Alexandre Paul Rosenberg, 2008. MS M.1166,
fol. 6v. Images courtesy of Faksimile Verlag Luzern, www.faksimile.ch
16. Christ appearing to Renée de France, Prayer Book of Renée de 138
Ferrare, Master of Claude de France (formerly Modena, Biblioteca
Estense, MS lat. 614 = alfa.U.2.28, fol. 9v).
17. The Virgin amidst the Apostles, Prayer Book of Renée de Ferrare, 140
Master of Claude de France (formerly Modena, Biblioteca Estense, MS
lat. 614 = alfa.U.2.28, fol. 6v)
18. Claude de France with her sister Renée, her daughters Charlotte, 143
Madeleine and Marguerite, and Queen Leonora, Book of Hours of
Catherine de’ Medici, Workshop of François Clouet (Antoine Trouvéon?)
(Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS NAL 82, fol. 100r). Cliché
Bibliothèque nationale de France
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
Diane E. Booton, Independent Scholar
Cynthia J. Brown, Professor, Department of French and Italian, University of
California, Santa Barbara
Elizabeth A. R. Brown, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, Brooklyn
College and The Graduate School and University Center, City University of
New York
Elizabeth L’Estrange, FNRS Chargée de recherches/Post-Doctoral Fellow,
Université de Liège
Nicole Hochner, Lecturer, Department of Political Science and Program in
Cultural Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Michel Nassiet, Professeur d’Histoire, Université d’Angers, Membre de l’Institut
universitaire de France
Michelle Szkilnik, Professeur de Littérature du Moyen Age, UFR Littérature et
Linguistique Françaises et Latines, Université de Paris III-Sorbonne Nouv-
elle; Directrice du Centre d’Etudes du Moyen Age, Centre Censier
Malcolm Walsby, School of History, University of St Andrews; Project Manager,
UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) French Book Project
Lori J. Walters, The Harry F. Williams Professor of French, Department of
Modern Languages and Linguistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee
Kathleen Wilson-Chevalier, Professor, Department of Art History, The Amer-
ican University of Paris