Michel Pastoureau (born 17 June 1947) is a French professor of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

history and an expert in Western symbology.

Biography

Pastoureau was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

on 17 June 1947. He studied at the

École Nationale des Chartes The École Nationale des Chartes (, literally National School of Charters) is a French ''grande école'' and a constituent college of Université PSL, specialising in the historical sciences. It was founded in 1821, and was located initially at ...

, a college for prospective

archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can consis ...

s and librarians. After writing his 1972 thesis about

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...

bestiaries A bestiary (from ''bestiarum vocabulum'') is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, he worked in the coins, medals and antiquities department of the Bibliothèque nationale de France until 1982. Since 1983 he has held the Chair of History of Western Symbolism (''Chaire d'histoire de la symbolique occidentale'') and is a director of studies at the Sorbonne's ''

École pratique des hautes études The École pratique des hautes études (), abbreviated EPHE, is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is highly selective, and counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions. It is a constituent college o ...

''. He is an academician of the ''

Académie internationale d'héraldique L'Académie Internationale d'Héraldique (known in English as the International Academy Of Heraldry) was founded in Paris in 1949 to bring together experts in heraldry representing the various areas of the world. Admission is by election, and the ...

'' (International Academy of Heraldry) and vice-president of the ''Société française d'héraldique'' (French Heraldry Society). When he received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...

in 1996, he was described as an eminent scholar who has made a radical contribution to several disciplines. Professor Pastoureau has published widely, including work on the history of colours, animals, symbols, and the

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

s of the Round Table. He has also written on

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

s and heraldry, as well as

sigillography Sigillography, also known by its Greek-derived name, sphragistics, is the scholarly discipline that studies the wax, lead, clay, and other seals used to authenticate archival documents. It investigates not only aspects of the artistic design a ...

and

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...

Works

* ''Vert. Histoire d'une couleur''. Éditions du Seuil, Paris 2013, . * ''L'ours. Histoire d'un roi déchu'', éditions du Seuil, 2007 * ''Les chevaliers de la Table ronde'', éditions du Gui, 2006, * ''Une histoire symbolique du Moyen Âge occidental'', Seuil, La librairie du XXIe siècle, Paris, 2004, (Trad. esp.: ''Una historia simbólica de la Edad Media occidental'', Buenos Aires/Madrid, Katz editores S.A, 2006, ) * ''Traité d'héraldique'' (Col. Grands manuels Picard). Paris: Picard éditeur, 1st. 1979 (2nd. ed. 1993; 3rd, 1997; 4th. 2003, revised and augmented; 5th ed. 2008). The 4th ed. [] added a Part IV, entitled "Quinze ans de recherches Héraldiques" where a state-of-the-art is attempted and three case-studies are presented. * ''Bleu: Histoire d'une couleur'', éditions du Seuil, 2000 * ''Les animaux célèbres'', Bonneton, 2001 * ''Les emblèmes de la France'', éditions Bonneton, Paris, 1998 * ''Jésus chez le teinturier: couleurs et teintures dans l'Occident médiéval'', Le Léopard d'or, Paris, 1997, * ''Figures de l'héraldique'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 284), série Traditions. Éditions Gallimard, 1996, ** UK edition – ''Heraldry: Its Origins and Meaning'', ' New Horizons' series. Thames & Hudson, 1997, ** US edition – ''Heraldry: An Introduction to a Noble Tradition'', "

Abrams Discoveries Abrams may refer to: * Abrams (surname), a list of notable people with the surname * '' Abrams v. United States'', 250 U.S. 616 (1919), U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding free speech during times of war * M1 Abrams, main battle tank * Abrams, ...

" series. Harry N. Abrams, 1997, * ''Dictionnaire des couleurs de notre temps'', Bonneton, Paris, 1992 * ''L'étoffe du diable: une histoire des rayures et des tissus rayés'', éditions du Seuil, 1991 * ''La vie quotidienne en France et en Angleterre au temps des chevaliers de la Table ronde'', Hachette 1991, * ''L' hermine et le sinople, études d'héraldique médiévale'', Le Léopard d'or, Paris, 1982, * ''Le Cochon : Histoire d'un cousin mal aimé'', collection « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 545), série Culture et société, 2009,

In English translation

*''Yellow: A History of a Color'' (Princeton 2019), *''Red: The History of a Color'' (Princeton 2016), *''Green: The History of a Color'' (Princeton 2014), *''The Bear: History of a Fallen King'' (Harvard 2011), *''Black: The History of a Color'' (Princeton 2008), *''Blue: The History of a Color'' (Princeton 2001), *'' The Devil's Cloth: A History of Stripes'' (Columbia 2001), *''The Bible and the Saints'', with Gaston Duchet-Suchaux (Flammarion 1994),

External links

French National Library

École nationale des chartes
*''Translated and adapted from the French Wikipedia article in September 2006'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Pastoureau, Michel Writers from Paris 1947 births Living people University of Lausanne alumni French medievalists French heraldists University of Paris alumni École Nationale des Chartes alumni Academic staff of the École Nationale des Chartes Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Corresponding members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Academic staff of the University of Paris French art historians Prix Médicis essai winners Prix Roger Caillois recipients Winners of the Prix Broquette-Gonin (literature)