Things I've picked up along the way...

Pretty medieval manuscript of the day is the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, a Book of Hours produced in the Netherlands around 1440. It is one of the most important manuscripts that survives from that region, as it contains an large number of incredibly detailed illustrations. Each border in the book is unique (most book borders are based on repeat patterns), and detailed. There are heraldic motifs throughout, which refer to the owner of the book. The manuscript was made for Catherine of Cleves on the occasion of her marriage to Arnold, the Duke of Guelders. Their marriage was important, a dynastic union between two powerful families. This illustration includes a donor portrait of Catherine kneeling before the Virgin and the Christ child. The heraldic arms of Catherine and her husband appear on each page. Although the book presents the houses of Cleves and Guelders as united and strong, the reality was a different story. For most of Catherine’s adult life she was in dispute with her husband. Although they had a large family together, the Morgan Museum (which owns this Book of Hours) reports that they lived apart by 1440. Their dispute became serious when Arnold disinherited their only living son. Guelders was riven by political strife, with some towns supporting Catherine and her son, and others supporting Arnold. in 1465 Catherine’s forces captured Arnold and forced him to abdicate. Her son took the Duchy, but struggled to win round the support of his father’s allies. In 1471 Arnold broke free resumed power, reversing the situation and imprisoning his son. It was a time of great tumult and disorder. Catherine’s misery didn’t end there. Both she and her son were disinherited, and when Arnold died in 1473 the Duchy was taken over by Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy. Catherine died in 1476, before her son was released from captivity. Catherine’s other children and grandchildren fared better. Most notably, her daughter Mary of Guelders married James II of Scotland and ruled as Regent of Scotland from 1460-1463. Ann of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII, was also a distant relative. Image source: Hours of Catherine of Cleves, Image declared as public domain on Wikipedia because its copyright has expired.

Pretty medieval manuscript of the day is the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, a Book of Hours produced in the Netherlands around 1440. It is one of the most important manuscripts that survives from that region, as it contains an large number of incredibly detailed illustrations. Each border in the book is unique (most book borders are based on repeat patterns), and detailed. There are heraldic motifs throughout, which refer to the owner of the book.

The manuscript was made for Catherine of Cleves on the occasion of her marriage to Arnold, the Duke of Guelders. Their marriage was important, a dynastic union between two powerful families. This illustration includes a donor portrait of Catherine kneeling before the Virgin and the Christ child. The heraldic arms of Catherine and her husband appear on each page.

Although the book presents the houses of Cleves and Guelders as united and strong, the reality was a different story. For most of Catherine’s adult life she was in dispute with her husband. Although they had a large family together, the Morgan Museum (which owns this Book of Hours) reports that they lived apart by 1440. Their dispute became serious when Arnold disinherited their only living son.

Guelders was riven by political strife, with some towns supporting Catherine and her son, and others supporting Arnold. in 1465 Catherine’s forces captured Arnold and forced him to abdicate. Her son took the Duchy, but struggled to win round the support of his father’s allies. In 1471 Arnold broke free resumed power, reversing the situation and imprisoning his son. It was a time of great tumult and disorder.

Catherine’s misery didn’t end there. Both she and her son were disinherited, and when Arnold died in 1473 the Duchy was taken over by Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy. Catherine died in 1476, before her son was released from captivity.

Catherine’s other children and grandchildren fared better. Most notably, her daughter Mary of Guelders married James II of Scotland and ruled as Regent of Scotland from 1460-1463. Ann of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VIII, was also a distant relative.

Image source: Hours of Catherine of Cleves, Image declared as public domain on Wikipedia because its copyright has expired.

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