Engraving “The Triumph of Our Lady” in the Paris Book of Hours by Geoffroy Tory. Is it a pagan parade or Christian panegyric?

O. V. Subbotina

doi:10.28995/2686-7249-2021-5-114-125

Engraving “The Triumph of Our Lady” in the Paris Book of Hours by Geoffroy Tory. Is it a pagan parade or Christian panegyric?

O. V. Subbotina

https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2021-5-114-125

Full Text:

Abstract

The article focuses on the engraving “The Triumph of Our Lady” from the Book of Hours by Geoffroy Tory, 1531, kept in the collection of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. That woodcut precedes the Hours of the Virgin Mary section, and complements the main row of images, most of which are related to the Mariological theme. An attempt is made to study possible sources for the rare iconography. Both Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (The dream of Poliphilus) by Aldus Manutius, Venice, 1499 and The Triumphs (I Trionfi) of Francesco Petrarch are considered. The author also takes into account the printed products of Tory himself, such as: “Champ fleury” (Flowery fields), 1529, Triumphal Entry of Eleanor of Austria, 1531. The iconography of the engraving displays the elaborately developed in Italian painting and drawing scheme of Roman triumphs of emperors and pagan gods. It also includes the visual impressions of theatrical and religious ceremonies, solemn entrances that Tory could witness. But those patterns were transformed and given a new Christian subject matter related to the glorification of the Virgin Mary. That corresponded to both the type of a prayer book (BVM) and the section the engraving preceded.

Keywords

Geoffroy Tory, Book of Hours, Christian iconography, engraving, Triumph of the Virgin Mary, Parisian editions,

About the Author

O. V. Subbotina

Russian Academy of Sciences Library
Russian Federation

Olga V. Subbotina, Cand. of Sci. (Art Studies)

bld. 1, Birzhevaya line, Saint-Petersburg, 199034

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Supplementary files

For citation: Subbotina O.V. Engraving “The Triumph of Our Lady” in the Paris Book of Hours by Geoffroy Tory. Is it a pagan parade or Christian panegyric? RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2021;(5):114-125. https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2021-5-114-125

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