Complaintes de la Foy
Manuscript written in French on vellum, by ‘Nachier’, an otherwise unrecorded poet,
Illuminated by the Master of the Entry of François I.
France, presumably Lyon, c. 1504-1506.
281 x 185 mm, 16 leaves, 1 large miniature
This work is now sold.
Laments were a popular genre from the 13th-century in French literature, relating the misfortunes of a 'character' whose acts are memorable (here, that character is Faith personified). Often, their popularity is related to their political, even revolutionary, content, though here the lament has a moralising tone and a religious message.
Printed 'complaints' were often sold as loose pamphlets, but the present poems are only known in this illuminated version, perhaps a presentation copy for the 'prince eternell' to whom these poems are addressed. King Louis XII (1462-1515), a possible dedicatee, promoted an image of being a knight-king and an exemplary Christian, having commanded armies against the Turks in 1499 and 1501. However, these campaigns notably ended in disaster.
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