Thanks to the Russian scientists identified the people in the portraits of the Renaissance
The historians of St. Petersburg state University studied an album of pencil portraits of courtiers of the French king Francis I (1494 — 1547), and set who they are. Relate pictures with real historical figures scientists have tried since the nineteenth century, but still make it not possible. This was reported in received by the editors Indicator.Ru press release.
In the Russian national library (RNB) is the number of European manuscripts and autographs of the XV—XVIII centuries. cow, including in the French language. Album of pencil drawings that piqued the interest of historians, St. Petersburg University, came to Russia from the Abbey of Saint Germain, the main state book Depository pre-revolutionary France. The manuscript was taken by the collector, the Secretary-interpreter of the Russian Embassy Peter Dubrovsky. Survived 40 such albums that captured some of the compositions of the French court. The fact that he was approved for one year and then changed. These albums are stored in archives, museums and libraries around the world, and three of them — in St. Petersburg.
Album with 39 portraits of the courtiers of Francis I was founded in the XVI century by order of the French crown and massively replicated. Pencil drawings belong to the artists school of fine art, Clouet — the best court painters of France.
It is interesting that the approximation that the monarch could influence the content of these books: for example, to put the noble persons with whom they talked, and were friends. “The French court of the Renaissance sought to emulate the ancient fashion.
Thus, many ancient leaders wanted to leave a mark in history: great artists of his image, that they have reached posterity. With this purpose was created and this manuscript book”, — said the candidate of historical Sciences, associate Professor of St. Petersburg state University Vladimir Shishkin.
The album, which explored scientists placed the image of the members of the Royal court with names and titles. Previously, the instance stored in the NLR has already been studied critics of the nineteenth century, however, they failed to determine who is depicted in the portraits. “The fact that in medieval France, many names were written differently, so today, even relying on signatures, it is difficult to understand who is in front of us, — said Shishkin. Therefore, the pre-revolutionary critics failed to correctly correlate the portraits of real personalities”.
Historians SPSU has identified almost all of the portrait gallery, which opens the image of king Francis I. the Difficulties the specialists had the only portrait of the elderly man, without bearing any marks. Studied the details of his costume — quadrangular biretta and black coat with a Cape — scientists have suggested that the picture shows the Chancellor of France, perhaps it Guillaume Puye. Another interesting fact was able to establish graduate student SPbGU Xenia Coulter. During codicological analysis (study of manuscripts), she came to the conclusion that every picture worked not one, but several painters. Manner of execution of the portraits and the style of the famous masters of the school of Clouet is of particular interest to scientists.