Jean, Duke of Berry

Jean, Duke of Berry
Name	Jean de Valois
Title	Duke of Berry
Caption	Portrait from the Très Riches Heures
House	House of Valois
Father	John II of France
Mother	Bonne of Bohemia
Birth date	30 November 1340
Birth place	Château de Vincennes, Kingdom of France
Death date	15 June 1416 (aged 75)
Death place	Paris, Kingdom of France
Burial place	Bourges Cathedral
Spouse	Jeanne of Armagnac, Joan II, Countess of Auvergne
Issue	John, Count of Montpensier, Bonne de Berry, Marie de Berry, Charles, Count of Montpensier

Jean, Duke of Berry was a prominent French prince of the House of Valois during the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The third son of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia, he is best remembered as one of history's greatest patrons of the arts, whose commissions defined the zenith of the International Gothic style. His political career was marked by his roles as a royal lieutenant and a key, if often controversial, figure during the tumultuous period of the Hundred Years' War and the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War.

Early life and family

Born at the Château de Vincennes, he was a younger brother of the future Charles V and Louis I, Duke of Anjou. His early life was shaped by the geopolitical struggles of the era, most notably his father's capture at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. As part of the Treaty of Brétigny, he was sent to England as a hostage in 1360, residing at the court of Edward III of England. He married Jeanne of Armagnac in 1360, and after her death, he wed Joan II, Countess of Auvergne in 1389, which brought him the title of Count of Auvergne. His children included Bonne de Berry, who married Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy, and Marie de Berry, who became Duchess of Bourbon.

Duke of Berry and Auvergne

He was created Duke of Berry and Count of Poitou by his father in 1360. His governance was often criticized for heavy taxation, which contributed to unrest, including the Tuchin revolts in Auvergne. Following the death of his brother Charles V, he became a co-regent during the minority of his nephew, Charles VI, alongside his brothers Philip the Bold of Burgundy and Louis of Orléans. His political influence waned as the king's mental illness intensified, and he frequently mediated between the rival factions of the Armagnacs and the Burgundians.

Patronage and the arts

His court, primarily based at Bourges and Mehun-sur-Yèvre, became a brilliant center of artistic innovation. He commissioned lavish manuscripts, jewels, tapestries, and architectural projects, employing the leading artists of the day. His most famous artisans included the sculptors André Beauneveu and Jean de Cambrai, and the painter and manuscript illuminator Jacquemart de Hesdin. He amassed one of Europe's finest libraries and collections of precious objects, including notable works like the Psalter of Jean de Berry and the Grandes Heures du Duc de Berry.

The Très Riches Heures

His most celebrated commission is the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a book of hours considered a masterpiece of the International Gothic style. The work was begun around 1413 by the Limbourg brothers, Paul, Herman, and Jean, who created its exquisite miniatures depicting courtly life and the Labours of the Months. The manuscript, unfinished at the time of his death and later completed by artists like Jean Colombe, remains a seminal document of late medieval art and culture, offering unparalleled views of his many castles, including the Château de Saumur and the Palais de la Cité.

Later life and death

His later years were overshadowed by the escalating violence of the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War and the ongoing threat from Henry V of England. He witnessed the catastrophic French defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, which decimated the French nobility. He died in his Hôtel de Nesle in Paris on 15 June 1416, and was buried in the Sainte-Chapelle at Bourges Cathedral, a ducal chapel he had founded. His extensive lands and titles were inherited by his grandson, Charles I, Duke of Bourbon.

Legacy

While his political acumen is debated, his legacy as a patron of the arts is monumental. The works he commissioned, especially the Très Riches Heures, provide an invaluable window into the culture of the Valois court on the eve of the Renaissance. His collections, though dispersed after his death, influenced artistic tastes for generations. Modern scholars, including Millard Meiss, have extensively studied his patronage, cementing his reputation as a defining figure in the history of medieval art.

Category:French princes Category:Patrons of the arts Category:Dukes of Berry Category:1340 births Category:1416 deaths