The Recueil d'Arras is a mid 16th century

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

. Tentatively attributed to the

Netherlandish art The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

ist , the ''recueil'' (

miscellany A miscellany is a collection of various pieces of writing by different authors. Meaning a mixture, medley, or assortment, a miscellany can include pieces on many subjects and in a variety of different forms. In contrast to anthologies, whose aim ...

) comprises 293 paper

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

s, of which 289 (numbers 5–177, 179–293, and 271)Campbell, 301 contain copies of portraits of named historical people. The book is named after the city of its current location,

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

in Northern France. It is not known who commissioned the book, or for what purpose; but it is of significant historical interest, as it reproduces many near contemporary depictions of known political, courtly, or artistic persons.

Portraits

The drawings are arranged by family or region, beginning with members of the English, Scottish and French royal families, the Hainault family and court, the Blois, the dukes and duchesses of Burgundy and the court of the

Spanish Netherlands Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the Ha ...

. The portraits are followed by series of warriors, ecclesiastics, writers and finally notable heretics.Campbell, 302 The portraits including a self portrait by

Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (, ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, generally oil on oa ...

and a double portrait of

Philip the Good Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...

and

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

, a copy of

Jan van Eyck Jan van Eyck ( , ; – July 9, 1441) was a painter active in Bruges who was one of the early innovators of what became known as Early Netherlandish painting, and one of the most significant representatives of Early Northern Renaissance art. Ac ...

's '' Portrait of Baudouin de Lannoy'' and depictions of

Margaret of York Margaret of York (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503)—also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy—was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Burgundian State after his death. She was a daught ...

and

Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut Jacqueline ( nl, Jacoba; french: Jacqueline; german: Jakobäa; 15 July 1401 – 8 October 1436), of the House of Wittelsbach, was a noblewoman who ruled the counties of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut in the Low Countries from 1417 to 1433. She ...

, all of whom are named in the index contained in folios 1–4, a later addition probably based on notes Le Boucq made on the margins which have since been cut away.Campbell, 304 The only non-historical portraits are of (the unidentified) Laure de Noves and

Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited w ...

on folio 27I verso. The drawing as are all on black or red chalk on paper. Nine are lost, while only torn fragments remain of a small number of others. It was originally foliated using Roman numerals, this was changed to Arabic numerals by a later scribe. File:Portrait of Anna van Buren by Jacques Le Boucq d'Artois.jpg,

Anna van Egmont Anna van Egmont (March 1533 – 24 March 1558), mainly known as Anna van Buren (or Anna van Bueren), was a Dutch heiress who became the first wife of William the Silent, Prince of Orange. Biography Anna was born in Grave, Netherlands in March ...

File:Lannoy, Baudouin de (Recueil d'Arras, f. 109).jpg,

Baldwin of Lannoy Baldwin van Lannoy, Lord of Molembais, nicknamed "Le Bègue" (The Stutterer; 1388 in Hénin-Beaumont – 1474 in Huppaye) was a Flemish statesman, and ambassador for Philip the Good at the court of Henry V of England. Family He was a member of ...

File:Anna van bourgondië.jpg, Anna van Bourgondië File:Margaret of York.png,

File:Margaret Stuart Dauphine of France.jpg,

Margaret Stewart, Dauphine of France :''See also Margaret Stewart.'' Margaret Stewart (french: Marguerite; 25 December 1424 – 16 August 1445) was a princess of Scotland and the dauphine of France. She was the firstborn child of King James I of Scotland and Joan Beaufort. She ma ...

Albert Châtelet and Jacques Paviot, ''Visages d'antan : le Recueil d'Arras (XIVe-XVIe siècle)'', Lathuile, Éditions du Gui, 2007 ( et 2-9517417-6-6), pp. 401 ; 410. File:Le Boucq - Jean de Luxembourg (1296-1346), roi de Bohême.jpg, Jean de Luxembourg File:Jean-Froissart.jpg,

Jean Froissart Jean Froissart ( Old and Middle French: '' Jehan'', – ) (also John Froissart) was a French-speaking medieval author and court historian from the Low Countries who wrote several works, including ''Chronicles'' and ''Meliador'', a long Arthuria ...

File:Recueil d'Arras fol 061.jpg,

and

, f303 File:Jacqueline of Hainault.png,

File:HumphreyGloucester.jpg,

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...

File:Luxembourg, Philippote de (Recueil d'Arras, f. 28).jpg,

Philippa of Luxembourg Philippa of Luxembourg (1252 – 6 April 1311) was the daughter of Count Henry V of Luxembourg and his wife, Marguerite of Bar. She married John II, Count of Holland.M. A. Pollock, ''Scotland, England and France After the Loss of Normandy, 1204-1 ...

File:Folle de Marguerite d'Autriche (Recueil d'Arras, f. 289).jpg, Caricature of

Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy Archduchess Margaret of Austria (german: Margarete; french: Marguerite; nl, Margaretha; es, Margarita; 10 January 1480 – 1 December 1530) was Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1507 to 1515 and again from 1519 to 1530. She was the firs ...

References

Notes

Sources

* Bouchot, Henri. "Les portraits aux crayons des xvie et xviie siècles". 1884 * Campbell, Lorne. ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'', Volume 40, 1977 {{refend 16th-century manuscripts