Lecture by Mark Zágora from the series The Work of Art as a Source of Knowledge about Life in the Middle Ages.

John, Duke of Berry (1340–1416), brother of King Charles V the Wise of France and nephew of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, was one of the most prominent bibliophiles and patrons of book illumination at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. At the end of his life, his library contained “only” three hundred manuscripts; nevertheless, these were works that were among the most beautiful and, at the same time, the most luxurious of their time. The library was in constant flux; he not only commissioned and purchased manuscripts but also received them as gifts and enjoyed giving them away. This is why volumes bearing his ex-libris have survived to this day, even though they do not appear in extant inventories. He not only collected manuscripts but was also interested in the content of the works themselves. In 1416, alongside the most numerous and richly decorated religious codices, his library contained 41 chronicles, 38 chivalric romances, 24 manuscripts on science and the arts, and 14 treatises on politics and philosophy. The most famous manuscript is the renowned *The Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry*. 

Limited capacity; reservations here. The lecture will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube GVUO.