Jean Froissart | |
|---|---|
 Posthumous portrait in theRecueil d'Arras (16th century) | |
| Born | c. 1337 (1337) |
| Died | c. 1405 (aged 67–68) Chimay, Hainaut |
| Occupations | Historian and poet |
| Works | Froissart's Chronicles |
Jean Froissart (Old andMiddle French:Jehan; sometimes known asJohn Froissart in English;c. 1337 –c. 1405) was a French-speaking medieval author and courthistorian from theLow Countries who wrote several works, includingChronicles andMeliador, a long Arthurian romance, and a large body ofpoetry, both short lyrical forms as well as longer narrative poems. For centuries,Froissart'sChronicles have been recognised as the chief expression of thechivalric revival of the 14th-century kingdoms ofEngland,France andScotland. His history is also an important source for the first half of theHundred Years' War.[1][2]
What little is known of Froissart's life comes mainly from his historical writings and from archival sources which mention him in the service of aristocrats or receiving gifts from them. Although his poems have also been used in the past to reconstruct aspects of his biography, this approach is said to be flawed, as the 'I' persona which appears in many of the poems should not be construed as a reliable reference to the historical author. This is why de Looze has characterised these works as 'pseudo-autobiographical'.[3]
Froissart came fromValenciennes in theCounty of Hainaut, situated in the western tip of theHoly Roman Empire, bordering France. Earlier scholars have suggested that his father was a painter ofarmorial bearings, but there is actually little evidence for this. Other suggestions include that he began working as amerchant but soon gave that up to become a cleric. For this conclusion there is also questionable evidence, as the poems which have been cited to support these interpretations are not widwly considered to be autobiographical.
By about age 24, Froissart left Hainault and entered the service ofPhilippa of Hainault, queen consort ofEdward III of England, in 1361 or 1362. This service, which would have lasted until the queen's death in 1369, has often been presented as including a position of court poet and/or official historiographer. Based on surviving archives of the English court, Croenen has concluded instead that this service did not entail an official position at court, and probably was more a literary construction, in which a courtly poet dedicated poems to his 'lady' and in return received occasional gifts as remuneration.[4]
Froissart took a serious approach to his work. He traveled inEngland,Scotland,Wales, France,Flanders and Spain gathering material and first-hand accounts for hisChronicles. He traveled withLionel, Duke of Clarence, toMilan to attend and chronicle the duke's wedding toViolante, the daughter ofGaleazzo Visconti. At this wedding, two other significant writers of the Middle Ages were present,Chaucer andPetrarch.
After the death of Queen Philippa, he enjoyed the patronage ofJoanna, Duchess of Brabant among various others. He received rewards – including thebenefice ofEstinnes, a village nearBinche, and later a canonry ofChimay – sufficient to finance further travels, which provided additional material for his work. He returned to England in 1395 but seemed disappointed by changes that he viewed as the end ofchivalry. The date and circumstances of his death are unknown but St. Monegunda of Chimay inHainaut might be the final resting place for his remains, although still unverified.
Much more than his poetry, Froissart's fame is due to hisChronicles. The text of hisChronicles is preserved in more than 100illuminated manuscripts, illustrated by a variety of miniaturists. One of the most lavishly illuminated copies was commissioned byLouis de Gruuthuse, a Flemish nobleman, in the 1470s. The four volumes ofthis copy (BNF, Fr 2643; BNF, Fr 2644; BNF, Fr 2645; BNF, Fr 2646) contain 112 miniatures painted by well-knownBrugeois artists of the day, among themLoiset Lyédet, to whom the miniatures in the first two volumes are attributed. Froissart is thought to have been one of the first to mention the use of the verge andfoliot, orverge escapement in European clockworks, by 1368.[2][5]
The English composerEdward Elgar wrote an overture titledFroissart, inspired by theChronicles.
