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Given the outcome of the November election, it was serendipitous that the Dukes and Angels: Art from the Court of Burgundy exhibition opened at the Cleveland Museum of Art in late October.
The show includes more than 100 sacred objects created for the Burgundian Court in the 14th and 15th centuries. The infusion of Christianity within the work isn't novel, given the infusion of politics and Catholicism throughout European history. Yet experiencing the artistic manifestation of religion within the reign of elite politicians is, at present, quite disconcerting. And the opulence displayed by the dukes of Burgundy doesn't assuage these feelings, for just as in many places today, only a small segment of the population experienced such luxury.
After overcoming my post-election anguish and hostility over class disparity, I was able to make my way through a momentous exhibition of creative expression by artists from the Burgundian Netherlands (which, during the 14th to the end of the 15th centuries included the Low Countries — Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — and northern France). The dukes of Burgundy were descendants of the French royal house of Valois; they inherited the region when the Count of Flanders, Louis de Mâle, died, and it came into the possession of de Mâle's son-in-law, Philip the Bold. Philip's legacy of sumptuous art consumption continued through the reign of his son, John the Fearless, followed by John's successors, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold.
The most riveting works in Dukes and Angels are the also the least ostentatious. As is often the case with the museum's grand exhibitions, the installation of the objects adds to their sublimity. Three fragments — the feet, head and torso of Christ, along with the crossed arms of the Virgin Mary — from the Well of Moses by Claus Sluter, are hung on a gray-green wall in a chapel-like setting. The simplicity of the pieces — the gaunt, peaceful expression on the Christ figure's face, and the symbolically steadfast positioning of the Virgin's arms, along with the somber color of the walls and the meticulous lighting, create an environment that could stir emotion in the most cynical of skeptics.
A lovely little pendant, the Medallion with Augustus's Vision of the Ara Coeli , by an unknown artist , depicts Emperor Augustus's face on one side, and the Virgin Mary and the Christ child on the other. It is a delicately rendered painting on enamel and gold on silver. According the exhibition catalogue, the image of Mary and Jesus references Augustus's vision, which convinced him that “one greater than himself would rule.” The countenances of Augustus and the mother and child are done in grisaille, a painting technique in which shades of gray are employed to create a subtly modeled, sculptural quality. Augustus, his serenely pensive face contrasted by unruly ringlets of curly hair and beard, seems to emerge headfirst from the medallion, leaving behind a fanciful fireworks show of rain or shooting stars against a midnight-blue background.
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Another understated work is The Annunciation, a pen-and-wash drawing on paper depicting the moment the archangel announces to Mary that she is carrying the Christ child. The piece is a study for a larger work, perhaps (according to the catalogue) a stained-glass window. It appears to have been quickly drawn, which makes it particularly compelling, as its detail and sketchy quality give the work a modernist feel. The fully articulated folds of the Virgin's garment set off the imprecise rendering of the architectural structure that shelters her. Behind the annunciation scene, the artist included two detailed buildings and a distant landscape. The picture plane is flattened by the disparity between the detail of the background, the angel, and Mary, and the vague rendering of the foreground architecture. This flatness, coupled with the adroit use of gray, black, yellow ochre and red washes, make for an enchanting work devoid of pretense and extravagance.
There are several fine examples of Books of Hours in the exhibition, including an important work by the Limbourg Brothers, The Belles Heures of Duke Jean de Berry , an example of a type of prayer book containing prayers and meditations for different hours of the day and days of the week, month or season. Usually lavishly decorated with gold leaf, biblical and seasonal imagery, these books were quite popular among royalty. The Limbourg Brothers were masters at creating sumptuously illustrated books, making use of vibrant colors, especially shades of vivid royal blue. The Belles Heures alone makes Dukes and Angels worth the trip the museum, as it may be the most important Book of Hours after The Très Heures of Duke Jean de Berry, which is in France.
Another exceptional item is the Collected Works of Christine de Pisan, France's first professional woman of letters, who wrote more than 20 books on French politics and women's history, as well as instructions for women on how to live honorably. The folio is open to Christine writing, which depicts de Pisan at work on a manuscript or letter, next to an image of a group of women building a structure with bricks and mortar. While the two images appear somewhat incongruous, it may be that the laboring women were what de Pizan was writing about.
The history of Western art is usually linked to the wealthiest individuals. This is problematic, as it narrows the lens through which we view the past. However, by creating brilliantly inspirational artworks, the artists of the Burgundian Court both expanded and complicated this lens.