Gospel Book of Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême

Gospel Book of Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême

Multi-figure scenes in beautiful landscapes and complexly designed rooms, high-quality painting at the highest level, and a wide range of topics, all embedded in elaborate and gold-plated borders in the style of the time – the so-called Gospel Book of Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême, offers everything that one could expect from an outstanding manuscript of the early 16th century!

Links to the French Royal Family

Today, the manuscript is known as the Gospel Book of Charles d'Orléans, Count of Angoulême. There were two noblemen with this name: Charles d'Orléans (1459–1496), who became Count of Angoulême in 1467, and Charles de Valois-Angoulême, Duc d'Orléans (1522–1545). The latter was the grandson of the former as well as the youngest son of King Francis I of France (1491–1547) and Claude de France (1499–1524), who probably commissioned the manuscript for her son. The coat of arms of the French royal family, which consists of three lilies below a crown, appears repeatedly in the lavish and sumptuous decorative frames of the manuscript – more than adequate for a royal couple. By all accounts, Charles was the most handsome and gregarious of the royal brothers, and the King’s favorite. Unfortunately he died at age 23, but this may have been for the best as Charles’ popularity could have resulted in a dynastic struggle with his older brother Henry, the Dauphin.

The Impressive Miniature Program

Magnificent bordures with the most varied Renaissance ornaments on luminous golden backgrounds frame impressive miniatures of the various biblical stories. In addition to the Life of Christ, the Passion, and numerous scenes related to Mary, the most important Christian festivals, such as Pentecost or All Saints Day, are also presented. In addition, a Tree of Jesse is presented among the 18 full-page miniatures and a depiction of the Twelve Apostles, and numerous other smaller Bible scenes and hagiographic depictions append the 140+ illustrations – an extraordinarily successful miniature program for a luxurious devotional manuscript!

From France to Spain

Since at least the 18th century, this splendid testimonial to French illumination from the early 16th century – in typically Flemish style – has resided in Spain. Cardinal Francisco Javier Zelada y Rodríguez was one of its owners over time and it was probably he who brought the manuscript to the Cathedral of Toledo.