New Publication: ‘Histoire du Berry’, by Emmanuel Legeard

A new study traces the longue durée of the Berry region from Celtic antiquity to modern memory, but it is the figure of Jean, Duke of Berry (1340–1416), who commands particular attention. Renowned as a bibliophile and patron of the arts, Jean emerges here as a politically sidelined royal who channelled thwarted ambitions into a dazzling artistic legacy. This volume situates his commissions, including the Très Riches Heures, his many castles, and the Sainte-Chapelle at Bourges, within a psychological framework of dynastic frustration sublimated into symbolic grandeur.

Jean’s use of imagery and architecture, the study argues, was neither arbitrary nor purely devotional. From his elaborate funerary plans to the cryptic motto “Oursine, le temps venra”, his artistic programme expressed a veiled claim to legitimacy and royal stature. The synthesis of swan and bear emblems encapsulated his dual identity as melancholic courtier and silent contender. His patronage of the emerging International Gothic style, developed at the cultural crossroads of Berry and Burgundy, allowed him to transcend political failure and style himself as a unifier of divided courts.

This richly detailed book not only reaffirms Jean de Berry’s importance in late medieval art history but also offers a striking interpretation of how art becomes the stage for political longing, princely persona, and symbolic sovereignty.

Find out more about the new publication on the publisher’s website.