Page 1 / 1
Reading Jean Bourdichon's biographical data is a brief stumbling block: The date of birth is 1457 or 1459, as well as the place of birth, the city of Tours or the province of Bourbonnais. This makes it clear that the French painter comes from a time when there were no administrative structures with complete civil status records. It was an exciting era of upheaval and great discoveries that marked the end of the Middle Ages. A few years before Jean Bourdichon saw the light of day, Gutenberg invented letterpress printing. And when Jean was a three-cheese-tall, the daredevil sailor Christopher Columbus discovered America. As I said, it was a very exciting time. If there had been an internet back then, people would have clicked on the latest news with uninterrupted fascination.
Jean Bourdichon's artistic talent must have been evident from his early years, as he received instruction from Jean Fouquet. This painter and teacher was one of the most important book and panel painters of his time, who found much inspiration in Italian artists. Fouquet's influence became a formative influence on the work of Jean Bourdichon. He later passed on his knowledge as a teacher as well. He even became head of the school of Tours. In his paintings, the tension between the early Middle Ages and the beginning of Modernism becomes clear. For medieval paintings show people in woodcut fashion without emotions. Jean, on the other hand, already began to portray the individual person in his social environment. Thus he made poverty or manual work the subject of his pictures.
In his painting Jean Bourdichon developed into a technical virtuoso. However, it was not as if he himself was bubbling over with his own creative ideas. But apparently the fact that the young Bourdichon had mastered painting techniques ingeniously had spread as far as the French royal court. From the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th century Bourdichon was court painter. He was in the service of three French monarchs: King Louis XI, Charles VIII and Louis XII. His function was that of a miniaturist and manuscript illuminator. He was therefore responsible for painting small portraits and illustrating books. Although book printing was invented, it was by no means widespread, and book manuscripts were still a unique treasure.
Jean Bourdichon became famous for his illustration of the Book of Hours (Prayer Book) by Anne de Bretagne. This Anne was an impressive personality. Not only was she the Duchess of Brittany, but thanks to three different husbands, she was at times Queen of France, Sicily and Jerusalem. Anne was an educated, strong-willed woman who found strength in prayer. She therefore attached great importance to her personal prayer book and had it lavishly illustrated by the court artist Jean Bourdichon. The Book of Hours was not only Anne's personal companion, but also served to educate her son. It is still fascinating today to see with what attention to detail Bourdichon depicted biblical motifs and uplifting scenes in this Book of Hours.
Reading Jean Bourdichon's biographical data is a brief stumbling block: The date of birth is 1457 or 1459, as well as the place of birth, the city of Tours or the province of Bourbonnais. This makes it clear that the French painter comes from a time when there were no administrative structures with complete civil status records. It was an exciting era of upheaval and great discoveries that marked the end of the Middle Ages. A few years before Jean Bourdichon saw the light of day, Gutenberg invented letterpress printing. And when Jean was a three-cheese-tall, the daredevil sailor Christopher Columbus discovered America. As I said, it was a very exciting time. If there had been an internet back then, people would have clicked on the latest news with uninterrupted fascination.
Jean Bourdichon's artistic talent must have been evident from his early years, as he received instruction from Jean Fouquet. This painter and teacher was one of the most important book and panel painters of his time, who found much inspiration in Italian artists. Fouquet's influence became a formative influence on the work of Jean Bourdichon. He later passed on his knowledge as a teacher as well. He even became head of the school of Tours. In his paintings, the tension between the early Middle Ages and the beginning of Modernism becomes clear. For medieval paintings show people in woodcut fashion without emotions. Jean, on the other hand, already began to portray the individual person in his social environment. Thus he made poverty or manual work the subject of his pictures.
In his painting Jean Bourdichon developed into a technical virtuoso. However, it was not as if he himself was bubbling over with his own creative ideas. But apparently the fact that the young Bourdichon had mastered painting techniques ingeniously had spread as far as the French royal court. From the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 16th century Bourdichon was court painter. He was in the service of three French monarchs: King Louis XI, Charles VIII and Louis XII. His function was that of a miniaturist and manuscript illuminator. He was therefore responsible for painting small portraits and illustrating books. Although book printing was invented, it was by no means widespread, and book manuscripts were still a unique treasure.
Jean Bourdichon became famous for his illustration of the Book of Hours (Prayer Book) by Anne de Bretagne. This Anne was an impressive personality. Not only was she the Duchess of Brittany, but thanks to three different husbands, she was at times Queen of France, Sicily and Jerusalem. Anne was an educated, strong-willed woman who found strength in prayer. She therefore attached great importance to her personal prayer book and had it lavishly illustrated by the court artist Jean Bourdichon. The Book of Hours was not only Anne's personal companion, but also served to educate her son. It is still fascinating today to see with what attention to detail Bourdichon depicted biblical motifs and uplifting scenes in this Book of Hours.