René d'Anjou: The Book of Tournaments

This manuscript contains the description of the preparations for a tournament, of the tournament itself and of the final banquet. It was probably commissioned by Louis of Luxembourg for his daughter Mary. The author of the text is Ren� d’Anjou (1409-1480), King of Naples, Sicily, Hungary and Jerusalem, Duke of Anjou, Bar and Lorraine, Count of Provence. After numerous political failures, he withdrew in 1442 to his castles at Angers and Tarascon, where he led an extravagant life and hosted numerous feasts and tournaments. He proved himself to be not only a great patron of the arts, but also an author. With his Book of Tournaments he had published a practical handbook of armoury and weapons.

The codex in Paris was illustrated by Barth�lemy d’Eyck. The composition was first drawn on paper in brown colour and eventually watercoloured. The armed contestant emblazoned with his heraldic device is taken from a copy on vellum (Ms. fran�ais 2695) of the Book of Tournaments illustrated by other illuminators in the 1480s.