The architectural heritage of Duke Jean de Berry (1340-1416) is one of the largest at the end of 14th century. He is credited with approximately twenty construction’ sites, from Auvergne to the ocean and Paris, founded on the prince’s... more
The architectural heritage of Duke Jean de Berry (1340-1416) is one of the largest at the end of 14th century. He is credited with approximately twenty construction’ sites, from Auvergne to the ocean and Paris, founded on the prince’s determination to provide their financing, and by the skills of a small group of great artists led by the Dammartin brothers. Designed at the beginning of the flamboyant architecture, their achievements have in the past too often been studied in a binary way opposing innovation and tradition. Similarly to their patron’s rich and eclectic culture, the works of Duke of Berry don’t fit in this duality. In reality, they try to satisfy the shared, and sometimes contradictory interests of the Duke, the King and Urban Communities, and belong to a move toward cohesion which is the hallmark of the dawn of the modern state.
The Patronage of the Duke Jean de Berry (1340-1416) is a very important moment in the history of late Gothic architecture. Besides the early experiences of the flamboyant architecture from the decade 1380, this period provides equally a... more
The Patronage of the Duke Jean de Berry (1340-1416) is a very important moment in the history of late Gothic architecture. Besides the early experiences of the flamboyant architecture from the decade 1380, this period provides equally a rich material for the historic research on patrons and masters of works. The whole of french aristocracy was involved in building’s projects and had led the construction’s sector to a very high level of organization. This phenomena had push to the recruitment and training of masters of works with exceptional qualities. The success of Dammartin's family is quite eloquent. In the service of kings and princes, including Jean de Berry, their contribution to the flamboyant architecture is fundamental. But more than just an artistic contribution, the archives of the prince - one of the best preserved documentation for the history of the construction at the end of the Middle Ages – reveal to us the privacy of this artistic elite and their relationships with aristocratic power implicated in political divisions that led the kingdom to civil war.
Le mécénat du duc Jean de Berry (1340-1416) s’inscrit dans un moment particulièrement important pour l’histoire de l’architecture gothique tardive. Outre les premières expériences de l’architecture flamboyante à partir de la décennie 1380, la période intéresse tout autant l’histoire de la maîtrise d’ouvrage et de la maîtrise d’œuvre. Toute l’aristocratie était éprise de construction et avait porté le secteur à un très haut niveau d’organisation. Ce phénomène avait poussé au recrutement et à la formation de maîtres d’œuvre aux qualités exceptionnelles. La réussite de la famille Dammartin est tout à fait éloquente. Au service des rois et des princes dont Jean de Berry, leur contribution à l’architecture flamboyante est fondamentale. Mais plus que le seul apport artistique, les archives du prince - l’une des documentations les mieux conservées pour l’histoire de la construction à la fin du Moyen Age – nous dévoilent l’intimité de cette élite artistique et de leurs relations avec un pouvoir en proie des clivages politiques qui menèrent le royaume à la guerre civile.
The Dammartin family (or Dampmartin) provided to posterity three of the most important architects of the late Middle Ages in the kingdom of France. Firstly the brothers Guy and Drouet who worked for the King Charles V, the duke of... more
The Dammartin family (or Dampmartin) provided to posterity three of the most important architects of the late Middle Ages in the kingdom of France. Firstly the brothers Guy and Drouet who worked for the King Charles V, the duke of Burgondy and the duke of Berry the famous patron of Les Trés Riches Heures. The monuments that they built for him in Auvergne, Berry and Poitou are essential to the history of the late Gothic called flamboyant style. Jean of Dammartin was the Drouet's son. He conducted two important construction sites in the cathedrals of Le Mans and Tours. Thus he contributed to spread the flamboyant style in the valley of the Loire during the first half of the fifteenth century.
