Je Suis Charlie

“Je Suis Charlie”

I was so glad to see a sign that read “Je Suis Charlie” at “The Center for Fiction” when I went to return my library book.  The slogan has justifiably been heard and seen everywhere in the last few days, and is so appropriate in an organization devoted to writing and writers.

The declarative phrase has double meaning for me—in addition to expressing support for freedom of expression, it parallels the opening lines of my novel, “None But a King: the Story of Anne of Brittany.”  My protagonist tells herself “Je suis Anne, Duchesse de Bretagne.” Repeating the words gives the thirteen year old girl  strength and reminds her of the responsibilities she has to deal with as the ruler of an independent state at war with France.

Both for Anne and contemporary sympathizers carrying signs and wearing T-shirts, that expression of identity marks their resolve to live up to the symbolic meaning of the title. I would like to identify a link between Anne's life and Charlie Hebdo; but it is very difficult.

I've been reviewing my research about the period  from 1488 to 1514, in which Anne ruled, as duchess of Brittany and queen of France, to find traces of the spirit of “la provoc” –the inimitable French pursuit of provocation. In Anne's time, France was a strictly Catholic country, albeit sometimes at odds, and sometimes at war with, the pope. That was long before the Protestant Reformation, before the Enlightenment, before the French Revolution.  Jews had been expelled long ago, and there may have been a few Muslims in the south. The closest relationship I can find to free thinking is Anne’s pursuit of knowledge, and  her encouragement of writers, artists and printers, leading to better education.

Her husbands, King Charles VIII and Louis XII both went to war in Italy and returned with greater appreciation of the arts and sciences, which they shared with their very well- educated wife and together helped to bring the Renaissance to France.

That receptivity to learning, to thinking in new ways, was the beginning of the spirit of open-mindedness, if not progressivism, that has characterized France and must not be tempered by the violence which has so often accompanied its history and progress.

DISCOVERIES OF FRENCH ROYALTY RIGHT ON FIFTH AVENUE

There is nothing like the Metropolitan Museum of Art for constant discovery and a wealth of treasures. Whenever I go, new things attract my attention and add to my understanding of my characters and their world.

I am quite sure that I have learned as much by the art and architecture that I have been able to see—starting in Pittsburgh, ongoing here in New York, of course throughout France, and that excellent exhibition in Chicago—to compensate in some measure for my inability to read original French source documents.

Today, just walking through the French Renaissance rooms of the Met, I saw several of “my characters”—pieces that I do not think had been on display since I’ve been working on this. There, all in one cabinet, were a bronze medal of Louise de Savoie, and enamel and bronze representations of her son François I and his symbolic salamander (which also appear in stone on the walls of the Alwyn Court apartment house on West 58^th Street). 

There was also an enamel of Henri II, the son of Anne’s daughter Claude and King François I, showing that he inherited his father’s long pointy nose, as well as the crown of France and Duchy of Brittany after the death of his older brother, the Dauphin François.

There were six large wooden relief panels from the Château de Galion, which Cardinal Georges d'Amboise had built—two showed his portrait, and one that of Louis XII.

The double wood panels were too high for me to photograph; I asked a very tall man to take the photos and engaged in a nice conversation with him, his wife and son, visiting from Holland and finding the museum wonderful.

The World of Anne and Claude

This afternoon I was able to immerse myself, after too long, in the glimmering but somber world of Anne of Brittany, my protagonist—extending to that of her daughter, Queen Claude. How I wished I had a magnifying glass—and even more that I could touch—the detailed miniature manuscripts on display at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, in the small gallery that houses the extraordinary exhibition of the work of the “Master of Claude de France” –an artist whose real name is not known, but so called because he created the Prayer Book of Claude de France and Claude’s Book of Hours, which is also shown. A special bonus for me was that Anne’s Book of Hours was also exhibited—I am so fascinated by that book, commissioned by Anne herself to teach her first son, who died before he was three.

The featured piece is the 2 3/4 x 2 inch, Prayer Book of Claude de France, which could almost be a piece of jewelry, so exquisite is the art and detailing in its 132 miniatures—primarily a series of depictions of the lives of Jesus and the saints, with each page embellished by the royal symbols to which I often refer in my novel. Claude commissioned this work around 1517, when she was crowned queen at the age of 17 after the recent deaths of her mother Queen Anne and father, Louis XII, who was succeeded by her husband François I.

The comments of the curators emphasize another critical emotion that preoccupied the lives of Claude and her mother—their duty to bear a son who would become king, and guided her instructions to the artist. Sadly, Anne‘s nine pregnancies did not produce a son who lived; but Claude’s seven pregnancies resulted in the birth of King Henri II.


The Morgan Library and Museum gallery includes other works by the Master and other royal artists and provides digital access to the Prayer Book via an iPad and Anne’s Book of Hours on its website.


http://Morgan Library exhibition.themorgan.org/exhibitions/claude.asp

I am somewhat appalled at how long it has been since I added to this blog. But I have been extremely busy and involved with the book itself, which is my main goal. In addition, I've been involved as leader of the New York chapter of the Historical Novel Society. Since my last post, I have taken two writing workshops and revised the manuscript several times. I think it is getting better and better and closer to the book I want it to be.  It is important for me to note here that the title of the book has changed to "None But a King: The Life of Anne of Brittany."

I had a wonderful surprise and affirmation for the wonders of the Internet when I got an email from a woman who is a determined researcher. Val Wood, of Uwchmynydd, Aberdaron, Gwnynedd, Wales, found me through SOFAR NY, the organization of which I am co-Director (which provides mental health support services to military families).  She had found this blog in her research on Anne of Brittany, which she took up after finding a ring that she was able to relate to Anne’s symbols.

There are the ermine, the fleur-de-lys, the crown. I’ve never seen anything like it! Her sources believe it was made in France, plated with silver. She hasn’t been able to have it dated. But in a search quite like mine, Val plans to go to Brittany to pursue more of Anne’s history. She was able to tell me more about Anne's betrothal at a very young age to young Edward, Prince of Wales. That relationship is included in my book, but Val gave me more background.

And I’ve had another interesting meeting and art connection with the images that inspired my book. On my way to my writing workshop, held at the Tribeca branch of the 92Y in Manhattan, I went through an area  used as an art gallery. Again I stopped short when I saw a large figure with right-and-left facing heads. It is a fascinating, timeless and organic figure rendered in shades of gray, in graphite. I was able to contact and to meet the artist, Colette Robbins. My visit to her studio was wonderful and we had a long conversation that I hope will continue.  She too has studied art and anthropology and has rendered quite a few versions of these figures and has a rich library of resources from throughout the world.

There’s also been more research, of course, and I’ve both added to and confirmed some of the data. I found additional graphic material, including maps, when I was in Brazil…I discovered that searching Google in Portuguese yielded international treasures that did not appear in English.

I hope that it will not be long before I can be posting some very good news here.

I am obsessed with a woman who lived five hundred years ago. For more than three years, I have been researching her life and times, and writing about Anne de Bretagne ( or Anne of Brittany). I planned a trip to France and Brittany to understand more about her by experiencing her world, rather than reading about it. The basic facts listed about her always start with the fact that she was twice Queen of France, having married two kings successively. But that would not have been enough to have set me on this journey that entails serious study of art, religion, symbolism, political and economic history and the variety of factors that comprised life for royalty as well as for others.

It is my curiosity that got me started--I’ve often said that the best thing about this time of my life is my ability to pursue my curiosity. And pursue it I have been doing.

IT STARTED IN PITTSBURGH

My mixed-media journey started at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, in the Hall of Architecture, which is a vast repository of statuary casts and models that brings together replicas from all parts of the world and centuries of human creativity, from Venus de Milo to the Arc de Triumph. I was on an excursion studying Frank Lloyd Wright, and we were looking at places of artistic as well as architectural interest.

I had separated from the others and was wandering around, fascinated, with my camera. Suddenly, I stopped, then walked slowly around a large sculptural group, taking pictures from all angles. It was clear that it was a tomb; two figures were lying atop a large catafalque, (I learned that word later) surrounded by rows of smaller religious  figures and protected by angels. My imagination was seized by one of the four larger-than life-size, quite representational, figures at the four corners. Looking outward was a lovely young woman, in a marble robe that flowed beautifully in graceful folds.  But the back of her head was the image of an old man. What did that mean?  

The labels shed little light. All I learned was that this was the tomb of François  II, Duke of Brittany, and his wife, Marguerite de Foix, and allegorical figures. The sculpture was credited to Michel Colombe, and it said the original is located in the Cathèdrale St. Pierre in Nantes.

I had to find out more. When I got home I did some research; but found little to explain the meaning of that two-faced figure that so intrigued me. As a writer, I am fascinated by allegory, and have always loved art, so I continued to look into the uses of allegorical figures in art, and found nothing else quite like this tomb, but others that I could see had some relationships.

 I found basic information about the sculptor, about the cathedral, about the Duke. I learned that the tomb had been commissioned by his daughter, known as Anne of Brittany. She became Duchess of Brittany after her father’s death, and twice became Queen of France, upon marrying first King Charles VIII, and then Louis XII. Neither of them is very well known or frequently written about in English. I soon realized that François and Marguerite were less interesting than their daughter, Anne.

Eventually I learned that this extraordinary young woman had participated—and been a key figure in--a momentous period of history that saw the world change: Born in 1477, she had her first child the year Columbus discovered America; Brittany and France were embroiled in alliances and wars amid shifting leadership and national borders throughout Europe; the printing press began to spread information and ideas to the growing middle class; she and her husbands brought the artistic genius of Italy to flourish in France, while building a nation from feudal duchies and states.

FOCUSING ON ANNE

Interesting, but I still had no clue about that provocative figure, or why it should be decorating, or watching over, the tomb. It was a busy time for me, and although  I could give my mystery  only intermittent attention, I  could not forget it. I continued to get ideas that I would track down. I My notebook and computer show occasional  notes made over the next few years when something brought it back to me or moved my inquiry forward. 

One day when I was at the Cloisters, looking at the Unicorn tapestries , I heard the docent say  that some authorities think they were a gift to Anne  before her marriage to Charles. Two-headed figures would capture my attention, until I realized they were usually Janus, which didn’t seem to pertain here. My readings in many areas of art, literature and communication would bring thoughts of parables and allegories. What is behind that figure? Finally I was able to identify it as an unusual version of the allegorical representation of the cardinal virtue Prudence—which was usually shown as a three-headed man, signifying  past, present and future. Naturally, the next subject to explore was “the Virtues,” as they were described by Plato and seen in Christian and in pagan religions. New areas kept opening  for my reading  on allegory and images in medieval art.

Many interpretations, but no pertinent answers.…. Why did Anne want those figures, that image, on her parents’ tomb? Or was it that the sculptor interpreted her wishes that way? How much influence would a patron have on an artist?

MY OBSESSION

In one month, several things converged in my life. Two courses of study that had occupied me for the past two years had ended.  I was in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Medieval section with a friend and was frozen by three small  three-dimensional figures: one was a two-faced image; the others were four-inch bronze discs showing the faces of Queen Anne and King Louis XII.  I told my friend of my fascination with both the two-faced figure and with Anne.  She urged me to go on with my investigation. Then I learned that my ongoing editorial job had come to an end. That was it. Now I could spend the time to research and write about my obsession.

I had to find out about Anne of Brittany. The same bare information appeared wherever I looked. I could find only two books about her published in English. (My high school French is not up to research into original materials.) I located a copy of the 1917 biography, and read its stilted language, full of adulation for the admirable young woman who had such an interesting, challenging life. Then I found the 1967 version written for teens, in less formal language, with descriptions of gowns and coronations, but few more facts. In the process, I had been consulting an increasing variety of histories of France, of the Middle Ages, Medieval period, and early Renaissance—politics, arts, daily life. So much was now available on the Internet; I rarely had to leave my computer. But I did. I was able to check out many of the sources listed in  bibliographies, and to order books from the library. My curiosity was  in high gear but it was not satisfied.

Anne was just 12 when she became Duchess of Brittany; and 14 when she married King Charles VIII and became Queen of France. A widow at 21, she married King Louis XII and again bore the French Queen’s crown. She was highly educated and prepared for royalty; she was a leading patron of the arts.  Despite two controversial political marriages that resulted in loving relationships, despite  nine pregnancies; despite loyal supporters and important adversaries, despite devotion to the church and generous philanthropy; Anne failed at  the primary purpose of the Queen of France: no son of hers became King.

DIGGING FOR FACTS

I am in thrall to modernity. I know that I could not have done the research or written my novel without the electronic tools that I use constantly to augment the serious reading I do. See a reference or a point that needs checking? I wouldn’t guess how many Google searches I’ve done, how many Wikipedia articles I’ve consulted for quick answers or background to  a specific question. By now, I can read Wikipedia articles and websites in French even better than the on-line translations.  They may lead me to  a reference to a book or article I want to consult, or to an out-of-print volume that Google has digitized  about my period and characters. The language is stilted and the facts often in conflict or wrong, but still, I’ve unearthed some useful tidbits. Any of these may lead me to hours of reading, and may confirm or question what I had before.

The books on my shelves are now two-deep --I’ve broken my resolution not to buy too many books and increasingly am tempted by  e-readers. I have spent hours reading ‘analog’ old and new books, which I can obtain after electronic searches and requests of the New York Public Library.  I am so fortunate to be in New York!  I’ve been permitted to borrow many of them; the library has tracked them down electronically and sent them to my local branch for me to pick up. The older, rare and more expensive volumes are available for me to consult at the main reading room, where I am permitted to bring my Netbook computer…an indispensible investment for this work.  I feel privileged  to be allowed to use the Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum and the Rare Books collection of the JP Morgan Library and Museum . I had a fantastic bonus when I was at the Morgan: before being admitted, I had had to submit a list of the books I wanted. Then  the wonderful librarian, realizing that I was researching Anne de Bretagne, brought me additional rare facsimile material that I didn’t know was available. They also have a valuable Book of Hours that was commissioned by Anne de Bretagne for her son. It is completely digitized and available online for me to study, page by page, as long as I want to, right from my desk. My French is  not up to reading academic books or articles, but when I am consulting a French art book at one of the libraries, my online French dictionary will find a translation. I admit that not everything is in New York but my computer is! Amazing collections from major libraries and museums are now digitized and accessible to me, many from home (some require me to be in my library to use their links.)

MY CHALLENGE

I was absorbing all this fascinating information, generating questions  (often of myself) as I went along,  and trying to gain  a sense of how I would handle this challenge. I spent  about eight months putting  together the basic facts, but  reaching answers to  all my questions wouldl take much longer. Here I am in the 21st century; shaped by a society so different from Anne’s:  it  is diverse and democratic  and respects the pursuit of knowledge; women are treated and considered completely differently than  in Anne’s time; we are blessed with a growing wealth of information, new theories of history and art , advances in science and medicine;  a world  that values intellectual growth and individual development. Unlike Anne’s earlier  biographers, I want to write a modern book; a good story that is also analytical.  I  want to tell  the story of Anne’s life, in the context of her time and setting, so as to give perspective on contemporary lives.  These people were experiencing the onset of the Renaissance! How did the time and place shape their  attitudes –toward religion, medicine, parenthood, marriage, art, learning, warfare, royalty? I would have to find a way to put into a modern perspective both the facts and the understanding I was gleaning about this unique young duchess/queen who, while representing her time. And I would have to decide how to handle the many details and facts--even dates-- that remained in conflict after all my reading. My constant frustration at the inconsistent dates listed in the histories was alleviated when I found that calendars have been changed several times since her period; that years and ages were reckoned differently, and that the attempt to impose uniformity did not come until after her time. For Anne and several other characters, I couldn't even be sure of when they were born! To say nothing of other controversies regarding people, antipathies, motives, and allies. Some books talked glowingly of the happiness of Anne and Charles when they married; others said she was virtually kidnapped!

I would have liked to be a scholar; to write a definitive biography; but my French isn’t good enough to research whatever original source material has not made it into English language books. But with the information available to me, I can write an interesting novel, that reveals and incorporates the issues that make it so compelling. I  would tell the story of Anne in her time, based on actual historical events, but not  write a history book.

HISTORIC FICTION, INSPIRATION,  AND ASPIRATIONS

I’ve always been a reader; there is usually a novel by my bedside that I read for pleasure, and piles of books  next to every chair, with a notebook on top, that I read for background and information. At some point, I realized that my recreational reading had shifted to  historical fiction. First I would search for books about early France (and learned that most of them start with François I, who reigned after the death of Anne and her husband Louis. Books of the turn of the 15^th century usually were about the Tudors in England or the Borgias in Italy. And frequently I would find that I could not read past a few pages: the writing was banal! The text would vary from detailed descriptions of gowns and people’s glances and heavy breathing  to sword play. But then Wolf Hall came out in America. I was blown away. Hilary Mantel had crafted an absorbing story about real historical characters; with insight, depth, and  skill. Then  Cleopatra, by Stacy Schiff was published, to great acclaim. That was another case where the author crafted a wonderful biography despite not having definitive source information; yet she was able to call on the known facts and her broad research. Both of those works left me inspired and frustrated. I would love to write like that, but I know I am not as skilled as they. But better to aim for quality than settle for something I have no respect for. I would write what is known as ‘literary’ historic fiction. My aspirations are high. I gave up on bodice-rippers and focused on really good books that offered professional inspiration as well as an engaging  story.

STYLE/FORM

So I knew most of what I want to say and what I want to leave the reader thinking about. But the question of how to say it was still to be resolved. I want to evoke compassion and sympathy toward a queen who lived five centuries ago. Because  many of my sources were based on just a few early histories, and some facts were in conflict, my research did not reflect as broad a perspective as I would want  and did not even mention or question some of the points  that are of interest to contemporary readers. Not even all nobles in northwestern France or Brittany would think alike, I am sure. Indeed, I knew there were many conflicts. I would have to make assumptions and fill in a lot of areas that to us are significant  but would not have been considered by early male historians who focused on politics and war  or even the 19^th and 20^th century women authors, who dwelt on romance, fashion, and ceremony. I want my reader to feel engaged in this story, to relate to the lives of Anne and her world, despite the fact that that world is so different. 

Anne was a woman, as well as a Queen, whose emotions should be understandable by the reader, even though the institutions and conditions she knew  are so different from ours.  My notebook was filled with ideas and false starts. And then it came to me. The people in Anne’s life would tell her story from their own points of view, sometimes not typical of their time. I had already made family trees and long lists and short bios of family, nobles, artists and religious leaders with whom she interacted. Some had fascinating stories themselves. Most significantly, the use of a variety of people would allow me to illustrate aspects of the time more sensitively than an all-knowing and -judging authorial  voice.

When does it end?

I’ve happily and proudly declared (to myself) that I reached the end of my historical novel, “Journals of a Renaissance Court….the story of Anne of Brittany.”  Now I’m polishing. But last night I attended a reading of a play by Lorraine Liscio about Christine de Pizan (1363-1434), who although she died about 60 years before the period of my novel, was an important influence on Anne and the other women in her time and place.

Christine was an intelligent, rather free-thinking and influential woman, and quite possibly the first ‘professional writer.’ I have all that in the book. But in the dramatization of her life I realized  the possibilities of some of the political characters and battles on which I had not really focused  because they took place so much earlier. I see some fascinating links that will really augment the story.

One of the ways to enrich a historical novel is to include references and links to significant people and events that relate to the main characters and situations. And now I have a series of situations and family links that I know will be fascinating. That’s today’s job.

But how and when do I stop?

Learning from Midrash

In my studies of Jewish teachings, questions are often answered with 'Midrash.' The word comes from the Hebrew word “to seek” and its literal meaning is ‘to investigate’ or ‘to study.’ Without going into technical  explanations of the two kinds of Midrash—legal and narrative—it can be said that Midrash is usually described as a form of storytelling by rabbis and thinkers over the centuries to fill in the gaps of biblical stories, words and teachings; to answer the unexplainable; to comment on the unclear.  Midrashim (Hebrew plural for midrash)  may speculate on human weaknesses ..motivations …nuances..on the available information. Midrashic stories are often told  to shift perceptions of stated actions. (i.e. “why did Cain kill Abel?” “why was Noah chosen to save his family?” “why did Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery?”) The goal seems always to be to find a religious yet meaningful /logical /ethical explanation for questions.

In contemporary terms, the process of explaining answers to difficult questions can be related to the sages’ development of Midrash. “Mommy, why…”

No novel, whatever its subject or goal,  can be compared to the work of rabbis who wrote Midrash, or to learned teachings. But on consideration, I believe that in the process of writing fiction based on real but incomplete or flawed history, it is the author’s task to create secular Midrash…to explain what is unclear or unknown from the available facts; to speculate on the participants' actions and thoughts; sometimes to shift perceptions of accepted dogma by applying a new lens.

My novel about Anne of Brittany, which takes place in France 1488-1515, is based on  a great deal of historical research. But most of the history of that period consists of dates: wars, treaties, reigns, births, deaths, marriages. That leaves a lot of blanks. I’ve learned at least as much from the arts of the period, and from visiting the places in her life. But that is still not sufficient to tell a meaningful story. That’s why I couldn’t write it as a biography or history. I’ve had to extrapolate to fill in the blanks. Why? Where? When? How? What did it feel like? What were the reactions of others? Who are the people without titles who made things happen? It had to be a historical novel. 

I do not intend to be presumptuous or irreverent by using the word Midrash. Instead, again, it has offered me another view of the process of thinking and writing. 

CHARACTERS IN ANNE'S LIFE AND TIMES

ANNE DE BRETAGNE  1476-1514 Duchess of Brittany, Queen of France

Anne  had always been prepared to become Duchess. When she was about 12  her father died and she became ruler of Brittany, a major player in European politics. Marriage to King Charles VIII of France seemed a solution to its battles and financial woes. Left a widow at 21, she married his successor, Louis XII. As Queen, her most critical role was to give birth to a dauphin. Despite nine pregnancies, she failed, yet lived a rich and productive life, helping to lead France into the Renaissance, fostering the arts, knowledge, and religion. Her court was a center for European politics . 

Cardinal Georges d’Amboise  1460-1510.  Friend and advisor to Louis XII,  his role was supportive, political and diplomatic, as well as religious. 

ANNE DE BEAUJEU, 1460-1522 Duchess of Bourbon, also known as Anne of France.  Sister of Charles VIII and Regent until he was old enough to assume the throne, then reluctant to relinquish power.  Frequent rival of Anne.

Jacques de Beaune, 1445-1527 Merchant whose power and importance grew as he  became Treasurer-General to Queen Anne and eventually chief Financial Officer for François I.

Anne Boleyn. 1502-1536 Lady-in-waiting to Mary Tudor and Queen Claude until she returned to England and court of  Henry VIII. 

CHARLES VIII, 1470-1498 King of France, Anne’s husband. Frequently at war, first with Brittany, then in Italy, in attempt to gain crowns of Naples and Milan. Died at 28, childless, after hitting his head on his way to watch a tennis match.

CLAUDE, 1499-1524 Daughter of Anne and Louis XII.  Queen of France and Duchess of Brittany. Often a political pawn. Married to François d’Angoulême who inherited the crown of France when Louis died, so she became Queen and achieved the goal her mother did not: her many pregnancies produced  a successor,  King Henri II, and she was grandmother of  three kings. 

Michel Colomb, 1430-1513 Master sculptor of Tours. He designed and supervised the tomb of Anne’s parents and was a major influence on other French artists.

Madame Francoise  de Dinan. 1436-1499 Governess, then Councilor to Anne who later joined a plot against her.

FRANÇOIS II, 1435-1488 Duke of Brittany.  Anne's father and last Duke.

Henry VIII.  1491-1547 King of England. Brother of Mary Tudor

LOUIS XII,  1462-1515 King of France. Ascended to throne and married Anne after Charles VIII died. Known as “father of his people,’ he did a  great deal to help his country but his invasions of Italy to  claim  other thrones were failures.  From his sojourns in Italy he learned to appreciate its arts and letters, and brought  home libraries, craftsmen, and artists, including Leonardo da Vinci.

Louise de Savoie 1477-1531  Mother of François I and Marguerite d’Angoulême. After the death of her husband she often lived in the court of Louis XII  and groomed her son to be king. An educated, smart, and sometimes devious woman, she was jealous of Anne in many ways, but felt superior because she had a son who would and could become king.

Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli   1469-1527 Italian writer, political scientist, philosopher, statesman, diplomat who met with Louis XII several times in attempts to improve relations between  Italy and France.

MARGUERITE D’ ANGOULÊME (de Navarre) 1492-1549   Daughter of Louise de Savoie, Sister of François I. Married  Charles d’Alençon and  Henry de Navarre. Like her mother, for many years she lived to support her brother’s position. A brilliant woman and writer, as she matured she was involved in politics and religion, and highly respected.

Marguerite of Austria. 1480- 1530 Daughter of Maximilian. Lived in  French court  as a child, since her betrothal  at the age of two to Charles VIII. When he decided to marry Anne of Brittany, she was sent back to Austria.  Maximilian, attempting to ally with Spain, arranged with Ferdinand and Isabella for Marguerite to marry their son John and for his son Philip to marry their daughter Juana.

MARGUERITE DE FOIX, 1453-1486.  Second wife of  François II, mother of Anne and Isabeau.

MARY TUDOR. 1494-1558. Sister of  Henry VIII. Third wife of Louis XII.

Maximillian of Austria. 1459-1519. King of Germany, King of the Romans, Archduke of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor. Married by Proxy to Anne 1490. Father of Marguerite of Austria. 

Jean Meschinot, Household poet and Master of the Court

Maréchal Philippe de Montauban.  1455-1513 Councilor to Duke of Brittany and then his daughter Anne’s closest advisor.

Ofelia Devora Amador-Espinosa. Medical advisor to Anne. Forced to leave Spain after her physician father , a “New Christian,” was killed in the Inquisition.

François de Paule. 1416-1507. Hermit-Priest and Holy Man thought to have great powers.

RENÉE, Daughter of Anne and Louis XII. 1510-1575 

LOUIS XI, King of France. 1423-1483. Father of Charles VIII, Anne de Beaujeu and Jeanne Valois.  Known as “the  Spider King” as much for his webs of intrigue as for his physical appearance.

JEANNE DE VALOIS. 1465-1505  Daughter of Louis XI, sister of Charles VIII and Anne de Beaujeu. First wife of Louis XII.

Etienne de Vesc.  1445-1501  As a member of the court of Louis XI, he was and remained a strong influence on Charles VIII and encouraged him to invade Italy.

Leonardo da Vinci. Artist, 1452-1519 resident at court of François I, where he died.

Pursuit…curiosity….and writing

came together when I was in the beautiful city of Nantes, which has many reminders of  Anne and her family. I spent a fascinating hour pursuing another of my interests—graphic arts—at the Musée de l’imprimerie—the Museum of Printing.

I admired a print being made on an old lithography press, and then found it among the graphics offered for sale. I knew enough French to relate the text to pursuit and writing; and thought the piece was beautiful, so bought it.

 

The text says:  “Tant et tant d’or j’ai dépensé pour l’écriture enfin trouver”

Once home, with my French dictionary at hand, I set to a precise translation, which eluded me. I have now asked for help from people I know who are fluent in French, who are themselves immersed in literature and the arts. I’ve gotten some literal translations, which fall short; and some more complex interpretations, which are probably closer. Michelle, a very cultured Parisian who knows several languages, identified the calligraphy as Arabic and tried to translate it, but could not be precise. Brigitte, a Swiss-born academic, thinks it may be old French. Annette, who is immersed in literature and the arts, but whose French is not great, gave it a metaphorical interpretation, which I really like, that “ all the gold and worldly goods are an empty pursuit next to the art or beauty in the design itself.”

She’s a very perceptive old friend, who knows me, and added that she saw I was pursuing another journey to satisfy my curiosity. She is right, and I will add that my pursuit of curiosity has been noted and appreciated by many of my blog followers and friends.

I received a response from the president of the museum in Nantes, who said that the Arabic calligraphy is by a Tunisian-born artist who lives in Nantes, named Lassaâd Metoui, whom he will ask about the meaning.
Anyone else have any ideas?

FAMILY PORTRAIT

I photographed this reproduction of a small painting by Jean Bourdichon. It shows Anne, Louis and their daughter Claude with Francois, to whom she was already betrothed. As heir to the crown unless or until Anne and Louis should have a son, Francois lived with them in the court.

The original is at the Ecole nationale superiore des beaux-arts, Paris.

Anne's family

As I was walking through the Louvre, I saw a painting of a child that looked very familiar: it was Charles Orland, the son of Anne and Charles VIII, the much-beloved Dauphin, who died in 1495 at the age of three. The artist was Jean Hey. 

Most of the representations were formalized portraits, except for one large oil from the Musee de Beaux Arts de Lyon, painted by Francesco Bassano. Both of Anne's husbands sought to win Italy, and were often at war. This is described as "Charles VIII receiving the crown of Naples in Battle." However, the text says that he did not gain Naples by combat; which reinforces my decision that there is so much lack of clarity that I can only tell this story as a novel. 

Image, Art, and History

HISTORY IS REVEALED THROUGH ART 

It was art that started me on this pursuit, and that has been foundational in developing content.  Because Anne, both of her husbands, and her family were patrons of the arts, it is largely through art that important parts of their lives have been revealed to me. Although I haven’t gone back to the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum is my second home, and in the past few years it has had special exhibitions of illuminated manuscripts and tomb sculpture as well as lectures about them that have been valuable and pertinent. The Cloisters is a repository of works of the period and before, and its lectures have provided information about herbal medicine, dyes, and images in art and tapestry, with insight into patronage and religious views. The JP Morgan Library and Museum had a fabulous exhibition of illuminated manuscripts, including some made for Anne and her family; and I was fortunate to hear the curator himself talk about them, with a group of people fascinated by the Renaissance who had come from Boston for the same exhibitions and lectures I was attending. I was surprised and delighted that my esoteric interests were shared by so many enthusiasts.  

REWARD FOR GOING OUT ON A FREEZING DAY

One January Saturday I braved the frigid weather to walk uptown to visit a gallery on Madison Avenue. I’d seen a small item in the paper that they were featuring art of France in 1500. How could I not follow through? Once there, I was immediately warmed by what I found. First of all, there was a beautiful miniature that was framed by the cordelière: the image of twisted ropes that was Anne’s symbol. Everything there was interesting; much of it directly involved characters I already knew. I turned to talk to the man working in the gallery and learned that he was a graduate student studying this artistic period, focusing on Bourdichon, one of the artists whose names I had become familiar with. The gallery director told me that a major show, assembled and curated by the Louvre and the Art Institute of Chicago, would be in Chicago in the Spring, and that there would be a definitive catalog in English about this subject. Fortunately, my brother lives in Chicago, and welcomed me for a wonderful visit with his family.  The nearby Newberry Library supplemented that show with manuscripts and art of the period. I spent a tremendously valuable day at the extraordinary exhibitions, and many hours afterward poring over the catalog, which is the most informative piece I've read, even resolving some of the conflicts of other historians.  It was as though it was all put together for me!

Anne de Bretagne is a legendary figure in Brittany, somewhat less so in the rest of  France. Hotels, streets,  restaurants and  historic sites bear the name of Anne de Bretagne. She is better represented in the arts.  However, the depth of information or explanation is minimal, and some of it is contradictory. Rather than being frustrated by that, I realize that it confirms my original determination that if I want to write about her, I would have to go beyond the accepted facts.

 The most significant recognition of Anne de Bretagne in America and much of the world is for the art and books she commissioned. The Book of Hours of Anne de Bretagne, in the JP Morgan Library Museum in New York, is considered one of the finest of its kind. And the tomb of her parents, which is in the Cathedral of Nantes, is recognized as one of the finest examples of early Renaissance sculpture and funerary art…and was the lure that brought me into her world when I saw a reproduction in the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.

France gave me  some new images of Anne and the people in her world.  At the Chateau de Saint-Malo, there was a very large painting of a procession in which Anne is entering Saint-Malo with the Bishop, showing an impressive retinue. The Château de Saint-Malo was largely built by Anne and her father…but the painting was not mentioned in its flyer or known about by the museum guide. I came upon it after he told me not to bother going there!caption

HISTORY REVEALED THROUGH ART

One important realization is scale: this small woman lived in a very large world. Each château  is really a small city, inhabited by hundreds, if not thousands, of people. The image on the right is a model of the Chateau des duc de Nantes, and below are the main wings and tower walls.

 The rooms are large, the furniture I saw (with qualifications that most is not original) is massive. Distances are quite large. It is hard to understand how the court could have traveled so much, so far, so often. And she was frequently pregnant! My train rides from place to place were lovely and comfortable, through beautiful farmland and occasional woods, and took several hours each. Horses, carriages, litters, and even barges are much more cumbersome and slower means of transportation.

My encounters with Anne

As you see, I found Anne, more than once: the blue version is in Nantes, the white in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. She is formidable, and still hard to get to know. I could not interview her, or see much of the inner woman. But by visiting her most important homes—the châteaux at Blois and Amboise—and experiencing her environment, I do have a better perspective on Anne, her life, and her times.

I am in France, and following Anne

But I have been having trouble trying to post to this blog as I had intended. My little Netbook is troublesome, and I have not had Internet, although it was promised, in several of my hotels. I have, however, been keeping up a journal and taking many pictures, which I will post as soon as possible.
I can fully attest to Anne's death: the first monument I visited, at Basilica St. Denis in Paris, was her tomb:

Blois was the favorite home of Anne's husband King Louis XII. It had been added to over centuries, and he made many additions and improvements when they lived there. This is known as the Louis XII wing:

This is the figure of the regal king over the entrance to the chateau





One important realization is scale: this small woman lived in a very large world. Each château  is really a small city, inhabited by hundreds, if not thousands, of people. The image below is the Chateau des duc de Nantes, and below are the main wings and tower walls.The rooms are large, the furniture I saw (with qualifications that most is not original) is massive. Distances are quite large. It is hard to understand how the court could have traveled so much, so far, so often. And she was frequently pregnant! My train rides from place to place were lovely and comfortable, through beautiful farmland and occasional woods, and took several hours each. Horses, carriages, litters, and even barges are much more cumbersome and slower means of transportation.

Anne's symbols at Blois

 The rooms are large, the furniture I saw (with qualifications that most is not original) is massive. Distances are quite large. It is hard to understand how the court could have traveled so much, so far, so often. And she was frequently pregnant! My train rides from place to place were lovely and comfortable, through beautiful farmland and occasional woods, and took several hours each. Horses, carriages, litters, and even barges are much more cumbersome and slower means of transportation.

Curiosity, knowledge, the journey, and the hurricane

PURSUING ANSWERS AND GOING TO THE SOURCE: FRANCE

Art started me on this journey, but along the way I’ve found several areas that called for further exploration and analysis to better understand Anne and her time. I’m examining issues such as destiny, royalty, family roles, marriage, motherhood, education, art, science, medicine, religion (as motivator/explanation/vehicle), culture, differing male and female roles and responsibilities.  How did these influence Anne, in what proportion? What did people of that time know that we don’t?—allegory, spiritualism, superstition.  How different was she from other women of her class? My novel should give my reader more than the story of the characters and the time. I want to elicit new ways of thinking about our lives and era, as well as those. How did people live before science and the scientific method? Most people, of any class, grew up to live the lives they were ordained to. What was it like, despite having so much, not to have a real choice about what one would do in life?

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

In the back of my mind as I wrote more and grew confident in my work, I realized that I really have to see the places I write about, not only for physical descriptions, but for atmosphere. If not now, when? I’m healthy, I’m able, no one needs me on a regular basis. I won’t have to borrow for the trip. And so I determined, finally, that I would do it! I used my frequent flyer miles to book a trip to France for September. I worked out my own itinerary, which is not that of the typical tourist (I’d seen a lot of those sights on an earlier trip.) Then I decided (with the advice of members of my writers’ group) that since I will be traveling alone, by train, I’d better improve my French. I enrolled in a very good Intermediate French class and felt much more confident in my ability to get around and communicate, and have my time be more productive.

August 28, 2011--We in Manhattan seem to have gotten through the hurricane with little severe damage; although there has been a great deal of disruption. Because of all the early warnings and precautions taken for the last several days, normal activity stopped. People had time to stock up and do what was necessary. So although I spent many hours securing my apartment; taking in all the plants and furniture from my terrace—that means moving everything around to make room in a small apartment; filling pitchers, jars, pots, and pails with water; and cancelling weekend activities, everything is fine for me. Not everyone fared so well, depending on where they live and how seriously they took warnings. I've had time to spend working on the details of my trip, which is just ten days away.  

One of the fascinating things I’ve learned about the life and times of Anne of Brittany is that the court traveled a great deal. There must have been amazing logistics involved, since hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people would relocate several times a year from one château or capital to another. And they would bring with them furnishings, food, and equipment to take care of the movable court. No hotels or motels along the way—they stayed at the châteaux of the nobles, who would have to be able to accommodate them. I haven’t seen satisfying details of how they managed all this. How long in advance would they send a messenger to say that “We’ll be coming by with 800 people next week.”?  Traveling by litter and barge, Anne’s trip from Lyon to Blois took eight days, and she did it rather often. Now it can be traversed in less than three hours, by train or auto.

I’ve been reflecting on the information we have available now, constantly being updated and refined:  weather maps following the storm, communications from government, utilities, first responders; the knowledge that allows informed predictions so that precautions can be taken. And of course weather is just the current topic; the same is true about disease, nutrition, space, and technology.  With all that, knowledge is not perfect. Compare that to earlier times, when they just didn’t know or understand the forces of nature, the relationships among events and conditions. Copernicus’ major book asserting that the sun is the center of the universe was published in 1543, after all of the characters in Anne’s life had died. And its validity was not established until 1616, by Galileo’s study of the tides.

Curiosity must be a universal instinct, and before the acceptance of scientific method would have had to be fed by imagination, religion, and magical thinking. How fortunate I am to be able to follow my curiosity across time and place.

WRITING, PREPARING,  STARTING TO GO PUBLIC
Learning from Henry James about Bluebeard and Anne


July, 2011

My obsession has been pretty private; I haven’t spoken a lot about my interest, although several people know that I am writing a historical novel, and I’ve mentioned Anne of Brittany, whom few people know about.  I say she was Queen of France twice—and that awakened a friend who remembered reading a book about her when she was a teenager. Little is generally known or taught about the time or characters. Writers and film makers have acquainted Americans with the Tudors, the Borgias, and the Boleyns. Most novels of the period are set in England. American novelists don’t set novels in France until the time of Diane de Poitiers, which is more than  thirty years and three kings later than Anne and her husbands (except for Eleanor of Aquitaine, who has a link to England.) . Whenever I see a reference to Anne in general  print or electronic media, even general history or guidebooks, it is cursory , general, and often wrong.  Anyone who reads this can see that I’ve become obsessive about the time, the period, and the issues. As I became more involved, and told people about my travel plans, they  ask questions and I perceive that they are becoming interested too.  I’ve even gotten advice from someone I respect to refer to “Anne of Brittany” in English, not to use the French. Starting this blog is a big step for me.

My work and my days and evenings are now proceeding on several planes at once:
1- most important, I continue to work on the book. As of mid-July, I have twenty-one chapters written, and in some stage of editing. The last chapter is still only notes; it has to tie everything together and I will not do that until I return from France and go over everything again.  I have started to build an index; chapter by chapter. It will be put together in a few months, when I have completed my draft. Having  the index allows me to double-check  details about people and places,  to augment notes for my trip, and to deal with an issue that is an ongoing concern-the use of French or Anglicized names for people, titles, and places. In this round with the index, I am also working to coordinate and update the  timeline to keep the narrative consistent.

2--It’s about two months until I get to France. There’s quite a bit more preparation I want to make for the trip: more notes about places and background;  decisions about time allocation; what to bring. Shall I get a Kindle, or even an iPad? If I get my netbook fixed, will  it allow me to work efficiently and write as I go along? I have my file box, my notebooks, my voice recorder.

3--French. Next week is the last class; I’m working hard and improving all the time, but not nearly as good as I’d like to be. I read quite well, and can probably be understood, if not considered literate. I’ll keep trying to improve as I go along. I will load a French dictionary on my e-reader, whichever one I get.

4—This narrative has to become a blog. People have been asking enough questions that I see the value. It will both provoke more interest and help to promote the book. I’m almost far enough along to start figuring out the mechanics of creating a personal, professional blog.

July 5, 2011

Yesterday I went to see “Midnight in Paris” by Woody Allen. I smiled the whole time! And I felt tremendously excited on all levels. It was a charming film, but I was thrilled at the idea that I would be in that beautiful place in two months. What is it about Paris that affects writers and artists so  completely? Last night I heard David McCullough talk about it in connection with his new book about the American artists  who went to Paris in the 19^th century. Surely there is some of that same feeling that people have for New York. But what? I think perhaps it is the atmosphere of excitement, of encouragement to creativity, of openness to ideas and to diversity. And in Paris, one is surrounded by beauty, unlike most of New York. Yet that is not what I need from Paris; I’m really not going for ‘creative’ reasons, although I fully expect to be inspired by being there and in France. For me it really is the research, the in-depth understanding of the places that will give more fullness to my writing. And I have found always, whenever I travel, that being alone, going to a different place, even somehow, the time difference, does stimulate me to think more profoundly and to write more.

July 6

I had lunch with a Canadian friend and her attorney-son whose father’s family is from the Loire valley. History  fascinates him.  He was very interested in my book and according to her, “intrigued by the subject of (my) novel” He knows more about Anne than anyone I’ve met, and had recently been to her principal châteaux while visiting his grandmother in Angers.  He was able to tell his mother quite a bit about  Anne de Bretagne and “the precarious political position of Brittany that destined her to become the queen to two French kings, and through her daughter Claude, the bearer of the future French royal dynasty.” Not only does he know a lot, but I was really heartened to learn that he had said  “that Anne de Bretagne is comparatively unknown to Anglo-Saxons and that most of the research material is in French.” She added that they agreed “You might  have a best seller.”

July 9

It is Saturday, so I spent most of the day studying: French, which I am taking very seriously, of course. Also spent considerable time on the work for my Study Group-lately that is the main counter to my French preoccupation. Yesterday I made my final reservation for the last three nights in Paris, at a nicer, more expensive hotel. One final blowout. This afternoon I got an email from my friend Jim about self publishing, and that spurred me to work on this some more, in preparation for using this some way. It is interesting, but who would want to read it?

July 12, 2011

Last night I went to Barnes & Noble to hear Ina Caro, a historian, talk about her new book that deals with seeing French history by train, using Paris as your base. I have and am reading her earlier book. Her best single idea, in my mind, is traveling chronologically, to afford a better perspective on history and changes as they progress, visible through architecture. I certainly appreciate the concept, which won’t really work for me. This book is also an interesting way of planning a longer vacation in France; one she came up with when she had an apartment in Paris. I asked her specifically whether the idea for this kind of trip came first, or the decision to write about it. She didn’t answer. My next question was about the people: were the people friendly? Someone else had asked about being alone, as opposed to her travel with her (well-known historian ) husband Robert. She didn’t answer that either. She replied to me that the people were not friendly, but were always polite. She said that French people always do what is legal. A man tapped me on the shoulder and said, “If your accent is better than hers, people will be nicer to you.”  I’m working hard on my French.

August 7, 2011

Henry James knew Anne, and brought Bluebeard into the picture

 After spending much of the day working on the details of my trip, I decided to go to my new Kindle, on which I had downloaded the Complete Works of Henry James, so that I could read about his travels in France. He's a wonderful writer, of course, and it was fun reading, utilizing the ability to mark highlights and make notes...until I came to the section on Nantes--a very important place in Anne's life. As he traveled through the Loire Valley and visited some châteaux, he heard about Anne from some of his guides, with just the usual minimal detail. But almost as an aside he says that the chateau in which she and Charles sometimes lived was, about 80 years earlier, the home of  "the horrible Maréchal de Retz, who in the fifteenth century was executed at Nantes for the murder of a couple of hundred young children...."

Not in all my reading had I seen anything about this. So of course, I ran to Google, and found several strange references, most dealing with vampires and werewolves. But there were some more straightforward explanations of a Gilles de Rais, (or Retz) born in 1404 near Nantes. He was from a noble family that bore many of the names mentioned throughout the history of Brittany and of the characters in my book. He was well educated, entered the military, and married a wealthy heiress. At some point, he became increasingly weird, and lived alone with his servants in his castle. For seven years he "inveigled little boys and girls into his castle, at the rate of about two each week, and then put them to death in various ways, that he might witness their agonies and bathe in their blood, experiencing after each occasion the most dreadful remorse, but led on by an irresistible craving to repeat the crime. When this unparalleled iniquity was finally brought to just light, the castle was found to contain bins full of children's bones." 

Other references said that the legend of Bluebeard may be based on his story.
But why had I never seen anything about it before? How do I work it into the story? It's too juicy to ignore.
More research of course, and more room for my own imagination, but would this be a partial solution for the people who warn me to "make it sexy'? It's certainly sensational, more than I could ever have imagined.