Meet Master of the Jardin de vertueuse consolation

Read About the Master of the Jardin De Vertueuse Consolation

The term “Master of the Jardin de vertueuse consolation” is the name that was given to the anonymous illustrator who illuminated (decorated) the page shown from the Book of the Deeds of Alexander the Great. “Jardin de vertueuse consolation” is French for “Garden of Virtuous Consolation,” which is also the name of a manuscript that the Master was known to have illuminated—that’s how he came to be known by this name. He was believed to have been active between 1450 and 1475. His illustrations for the Book of the Deeds of Alexander the Great are considered some of his finest works.

Little is known about the illuminator’s life. What is understood is based on analysis of his artistic style and output by trained art historians. He was probably a follower of the popular Flemish illuminator of the time, Lieven van Lathem, and he may have lived in Bruges or Antwerp (in modern-day Belgium), both major artistic centers where van Lathem was active.

He enjoyed the patronage of prominent court figures. Unlike the many artists at this time who specialized in illustrating books used to aid private prayer, he illuminated a variety of texts, including secular and theological books.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• Why do you think this artist is called “the Master of the Jardin de vertueuse consolation” instead of having an actual name?
• Little is known about this artist’s life. What does it mean to say that historians are able to learn about him “based on analysis of his artistic style and output”?
• This artist illuminated a variety of types of texts rather than being specialized in just one. What do you think you could infer about him based on this information?

Describes someone or something from the historical region of Flanders, an area along the North Sea spanning modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Today, Flanders refers to a Dutch-speaking region in northern Belgium.