The arts in France under Charles VII

The reign of Charles VII saw an extraordinary artistic revival. The exhibition "Les arts en France sous Charles VII (1422-1461)" at the Musée de Cluny - Musée national du Moyen Âge from March 12 to June 16, 2024 highlights this pivotal moment in art history.

From the 1420s, during the Hundred Years' War, the kingdom of France underwent profound political and artistic changes. In the north of the kingdom, occupied by the English and Burgundians, multiple artistic centers emerged. When the Dauphin Charles succeeded in regaining his throne, thanks in particular to Joan of Arc, and then his kingdom, the conditions for a revival were ripe. Major patrons, such as Jacques Coeur, called on a new generation of artists. These artists embraced the Flemish style of realism, known as ars nova, in full bloom with Jan van Eyck, while, through Italian influence, they immersed themselves in the ancient heritage developed by artists such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Donatello and Giovanni Bellini. Artistic creation gradually broke away from the international Gothic style and turned towards a new vision of reality, the beginnings of the Renaissance.

After a first section of historical contextualization, the exhibition shows the diversity of the arts in the main geographical centers, often associated with major patron figures. The third and final section analyzes the specific features of this art form in France, between Burgundian and Flemish ars nova, and Italian innovations. An essential chapter is devoted to Provence and the role of René d'Anjou, patron and introducer of northern art, evoking, among others, the figure of the artist Barthélemy d'Eyck.

Throughout the tour, the exhibition demonstrates the diversity of artistic production during the reign of Charles VII. It brings together prestigious illuminated manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, silverware, stained glass and tapestries. Exceptional works include the canopy of Charles VII (Musée du Louvre), the manuscript of the Grandes Heures de Rohan (Bibliothèque nationale de France), the Annunciation of Aix (Aix-en-Provence) by Barthélémy d'Eyck, painter to Duke René d'Anjou who illuminated his Livre des tournois (Bibliothèque nationale de France), and the alabaster recumbent of Agnès Sorel (Ville de Loches), which has never before been on loan. For the first time, the Parisian triptych of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ by André d'Ypres will be reconstituted in its entirety (Musée du Louvre, Getty Museum, Musée Fabre). Finally, an entire section will be devoted to Jean Fouquet, one of the greatest French painters of the 15th century. A genius illuminator, he is the author of the famous portrait painted on wood of Charles VII (Musée du Louvre), featured prominently in the exhibition.

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Reopened on May 12, 2022, the Musée de Cluny is France's only national museum dedicated to the Middle Ages. It's a New Generation Middle Ages that visitors can now discover, thanks to new physical accessibility, a revamped tour itinerary and museography, renewed mediation for all audiences...
At 28 rue Du Sommerard, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the museum invites visitors to step back in time, from the 1st to the 21st century, in a unique setting. The 15th-century mansion belonging to the abbots of Cluny, which backs onto Gallo-Roman thermal baths, now features a contemporary extension designed by architect Bernard Desmoulin and inaugurated in 2018.
This heritage site houses prestigious collections illustrating the extraordinary diversity of medieval artistic production. The new museography follows a chronological thread, designed to show the evolution of forms, moments of rupture, innovations and aesthetic differences from northern to southern Europe.
By multiplying approaches and media, the cultural program sheds light on the subject for all audiences. The museum's collections comprise 24,000 works, including some of the remarkable ensembles for which it is renowned, such as the six tapestries of The Lady and the Unicorn. They continue to grow, through acquisitions, gifts and bequests, and bear witness to the diversity of artistic expression in the medieval period.