Pierre Michel, Valet to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy
Panel
ca. 1440-1450 (made)
ca. 1440-1450 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Thanks to a drawing of 1837–8, we know that this panel formed part of a window in the church of Notre-Dame in Dijon, France. It probably came there from the Sainte-Chapelle in Dijon, which was demolished in 1802. (The drawing is in the Bibliothèque Municipale de la Ville de Dijon.) In the drawing, the standing figure of St Peter presents the kneeling donor in front of him. You can still see part of St Peter’s jewelled sleeve and key in the glass. The drawing also shows the small figure of the donor’s son kneeling behind him, with a shield above that bears the initials ‘PM’. In a facing panel, the donor’s wife is shown kneeling in prayer with her daughter behind her. Her patron saint, whom we cannot now identify, stands above.
The donor has been identified as Pierre Michel. He was valet to two dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good (ruled 1419–67) and Charles the Bold (ruled 1467–77). He was also concièrge of the ducal house at Dijon and capitaine-châtelain of the château at Vergy. On both sleeves of his fur-lined coat he wears the device of Philip the Good, the Flint and Steel (briquet) with flames. This denotes that he is a member of the ducal household.
The present panel has been cut down. It is tightly framed by a decorative border of leafy plants entwined with scrolls. These bear the words ‘ihs’ (Jesus), ‘mra’ (Mary) and the motto ‘En bien’ (‘In Goodness’). The border was made at the same time as the panel, but it comes from another window at Notre-Dame.
The donor has been identified as Pierre Michel. He was valet to two dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good (ruled 1419–67) and Charles the Bold (ruled 1467–77). He was also concièrge of the ducal house at Dijon and capitaine-châtelain of the château at Vergy. On both sleeves of his fur-lined coat he wears the device of Philip the Good, the Flint and Steel (briquet) with flames. This denotes that he is a member of the ducal household.
The present panel has been cut down. It is tightly framed by a decorative border of leafy plants entwined with scrolls. These bear the words ‘ihs’ (Jesus), ‘mra’ (Mary) and the motto ‘En bien’ (‘In Goodness’). The border was made at the same time as the panel, but it comes from another window at Notre-Dame.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Pierre Michel, Valet to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Stained glass |
Brief description | Stained glass panel with a kneeling donor, Pierre Michel, Valet to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy, France (Bourgogne) ca. 1440-50 |
Physical description | Stained glass panel. Kneeling donor wearing on his sleeve the flint and steel badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The border is formed of inscribed ribbons coiled about leafy stalks. Brown enamel and yellow stain. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | From the Sainte-Chapelle, Dijon |
Production | From the Sainte-Chapelle, Dijon |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Thanks to a drawing of 1837–8, we know that this panel formed part of a window in the church of Notre-Dame in Dijon, France. It probably came there from the Sainte-Chapelle in Dijon, which was demolished in 1802. (The drawing is in the Bibliothèque Municipale de la Ville de Dijon.) In the drawing, the standing figure of St Peter presents the kneeling donor in front of him. You can still see part of St Peter’s jewelled sleeve and key in the glass. The drawing also shows the small figure of the donor’s son kneeling behind him, with a shield above that bears the initials ‘PM’. In a facing panel, the donor’s wife is shown kneeling in prayer with her daughter behind her. Her patron saint, whom we cannot now identify, stands above. The donor has been identified as Pierre Michel. He was valet to two dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good (ruled 1419–67) and Charles the Bold (ruled 1467–77). He was also concièrge of the ducal house at Dijon and capitaine-châtelain of the château at Vergy. On both sleeves of his fur-lined coat he wears the device of Philip the Good, the Flint and Steel (briquet) with flames. This denotes that he is a member of the ducal household. The present panel has been cut down. It is tightly framed by a decorative border of leafy plants entwined with scrolls. These bear the words ‘ihs’ (Jesus), ‘mra’ (Mary) and the motto ‘En bien’ (‘In Goodness’). The border was made at the same time as the panel, but it comes from another window at Notre-Dame. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | C.129-1914 |
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Record created | August 4, 1998 |
Record URL |
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