s. aubin défendant guérande
f.7v, Saint Aubin defends Guérande
A larger image of St. Aubin defends Guérande, from the 'Life of St. Aubin', France, 11th century.
BnF, ms. Nouvelle acquisition latine 1390, Folio 7v
Title: Illustrations of the life of Saint Aubin d´Angers.
Publication date: 1050-1150
Type: manuscript
Language: Latin
Format: Angers. - 14 paintings, of a homogeneous style, the work of a single artist active in Angers around 1100, who also participated in the decoration of three other Angevin manuscripts: the Bible of Saint-Aubin in two volumes (Angers, BM, ms . 3-4) and a glossed psalter (Amiens, BM, ms. Lescalopier 2), which J. Porcher suggested to identify with a certain Foulques, to whom the abbot of Saint-Aubin, Gérard (1082-1108), had commissioned the execution of the murals and stained glass windows of the abbey. Vigorous and expressive graphics, expressed in the drawing of the figures with a massive appearance and articulations strongly underlined by the geometric lines of the clothes: the interlocking V-folds as in Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe sit side by side with the concentric folds around the bellies . The monumentality of the figures is often reinforced by the presence of a curtain and an imposing architectural framework, surmounted by small buildings, towers and cupolas, which have antecedents in Ottonian art. Contributing to the unity and rhythm of the whole, the painter's palette is distinguished by the juxtaposition of dark tones (red-brown, mauve, slate blue) and more or less bright colors (red, orange, yellow, green bottle, light blue), applied over the surface of the page and highlighted in white. - Parchment. - 7 ff. - 295 x 200 mmContinuation of text
Description: Fragmentary manuscript composed of 14 paintings illustrating different episodes in the life of Saint Aubin (+550), who was successively monk, abbot and bishop of Angers. These are taken from the biography of the saint written by Venance Fortunat and from an anonymous collection of posthumous miracles composed in the abbey of Saint-Aubin in Angers in the 11th century.
Description: Place of copy: Angers
Rights: Public domain
Source: National Library of France. Department of Manuscripts. NAL 1390
ELEVENTH-CENTURY INFANTRY
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France
Dating from the eleventh century, this illumination fragment from the Life of St.
Aubin of Angers (Vie de Saint Aubin d’Angers) is one of the best illustrations of a contemporary infantry unit.
The unit consists of twenty-four infantry soldiers and one officer.
The armor of the common soldiers is difficult to distinguish, although they seem to be clothed in some torso armor with sleeves that end at the wrist in bands.
They also seem to be wearing armor to cover the knees.
Two kite-shaped shields are visible, although the tops of others can be seen further back in the unit, indicating that at least some, if not all, of these soldiers had shields.
All the infantry soldiers are armed with spears, roughly six feet (two meters) in height, with the spearheads similar to the extant Carolingian “Holy Lance.”
Two also wear swords.
The better-equipped officer wears a Carolingian mail byrnie to cover his torso, groin, and upper arms, but he does not appear to be wearing armor on his knees.
His nasal helmet is attached to a mail coif that hangs to his shoulders, protecting his neck.
A kite-shaped shield is slung around his back by a leather cord, and he is armed with a spear and sword like those carried by his soldiers.
Source: p.243, Medieval Weapons: An Illustrated History of Their Impact by Kelly DeVries & Robert D. Smith (2007)
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