Jacques d’Armagnac et Jean du Mas, entre bibliophilie et sédition politique

Abstract

In the fifteenth century, some aristocrats were fond of Arthurian stories and claimed their aristocratic legitimacy and their status as bibliophiles by ordering rich illuminated manuscripts of the Tristan and Lancelot in prose, in which chivalrous battles were often pictured. Among these personalities, Jacques d’Armagnac, duke of Nemours owned an important library, containing many illustrated Arthurian volumes. In 1477, Nemours was executed for high treason by Louis XI. His manuscripts were given to new owners, who replaced the duke’s coat of arms with theirs and who erased the ex-libris marking his status as owner. Punished for his political crimes, Jacques d’Armagnac was also stripped of his status as a bibliophile.