Parament of Narbonne

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Parament of Narbonne, general view

The parament of Narbonne is an altar hanging, probably painted in grisaille on silk around 1375 in Paris , which is kept in the Louvre .

Origin and history

The precious antependium was commissioned by the king between the beginning of the reign of Charles V of France (1364) and the death of his wife Johanna von Bourbon (1378). The name of the painter is not known for certain, he was previously associated with the person of André Beauneveu , today it is assumed that he is more likely to have an identity with Jean d'Orleans, who was employed by the court between 1360 and 1407.

After the work was donated to Narbonne Cathedral at an unknown time and acquired by the painter Julien Léopold Boilly (1796–1874) in Narbonne at the beginning of the 19th century, it was moved to the Louvre in 1852. In 2015 it was removed from the permanent exhibition for several years for reasons of conservation.

Description and iconography

On the 78 × 208 cm white silk fabric, seven scenes from the Passion of Christ are depicted in a graphic manner : capture , flagellation , carrying the cross , crucifixion , entombment , Christ's descent into the underworld , Christ appears to Mary Magdalene ( Noli me tangere ). The themes from the story of the Passion and the painting technique that dispenses with colors indicate that the altar curtain was created for use during the Lent or Passion period of the church year .

To the side of the crucifixion scene highlighted in the middle, the royal donors , Charles V and Joanna von Bourbon, kneel . In the fields above on the left an allegory of Ecclesia with the prophet Isaiah and opposite synagogues with King David can be seen. The initial "K" (for "Karolus") is repeated several times in the frame.

Art historical significance

The parament of Narbonne is one of the most important pictorial creations of the Parisian court art around 1400. During this time of the so-called soft style , a lively artistic exchange can be observed across the borders of Europe. The "Master of the Parament of Narbonne" had knowledge of the Italian painting of his time, which was perhaps also conveyed through the Bohemian painting of the time. One also wanted to see stylistic influences of the older illuminator Jean Pucelle in the housing-like architecture . The artistic handwriting of the Parament master can be recognized in illuminated manuscripts from the Parisian court art, for example in the René d'Anjou Book of Hours or in the Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame .

The figures are presented as slender figures in graceful movement, and even if the perspective space is still imperfect, the bodies are drawn as convincingly plastic volumes. The historical rank is increased by the rarity of such high quality textiles from the Gothic period.

literature

  • Millard Meiss: French Painting in the Time of Jean de Berry. The late Fourteenth Century and the Patronage of the Duke. London and New York, 1967, pp. 99-107.
  • D. Thiébaut, in: Exhibition catalog Le Siècle de Charles V. Paris, 1981, pp. 371–373.
  • Charles Sterling: La peinture médiévale à Paris 1300–1500. Vol. I, Paris 1987, pp. 218-225.
  • Susie Nash: The Parement de Narbonne: Context and Technique, The Fabric of Images. In: C. Villers (Ed.): European Paintings on Textile Support c. 1330-1500. Archetype Press, London 2000, pp. 77-87. (as an online PDF document)
  • Gabrielle Bartz and Eberhard König: Le Musée du Louvre. Éditions Place des Victoires, Paris, 2005, p. 366 (ISBN | 3-8331-2089-4).

Web links

Commons : Parament of Narbonne  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Louvre, Inv. No. MI 1121
  2. ↑ Grande Galerie - Le Journal du Louvre. March / April / May 2015, n ° 31.
  3. ^ Millard Meiss: French painting in the Time of Jean de Berry. London 1967.
  4. ^ British Library catalog entry Via the Anjou Hours with a link to further information on the Master of the Parament
  5. ^ Erwin Panofsky: The old Dutch painting. Cologne 2001, p. 45.