The Grandes Chroniques de France is a vernacular,   frequently   illustrated history of the medieval French monarchs.  Originally   describing the   lives of the kings from their origins in Troy in 1274 to the reign of   Philip   Augustus, it was updated in several stages to the life of Charles VI.   Copied and   amended for a variety of royal and courtly patrons, approximately 130 of   these   manuscripts exist today. Anne Hedeman provides the first critical and   comprehensive study of the chronicle's illustrations.  Hedeman concentrates on the illustrations in twenty manuscripts,   analyzing their   artistic and cultural significance and offering new methods for studying   illustrated manuscripts. She discusses the chronicle in relation to the   political ideology of Louis IX, vernacular history, and the Latin   chronicle   tradition at Saint-Denis.  Looking at the manuscripts of various   periods, the   author compares their representations of historical events, kingship,   and   individuals in and around the royal court. She also contrasts the styles   of   several authors and illustrators of the chronicle.  The Royal Image includes a catalogue of over seventy-five illustrated   manuscripts, and an appendix listing the artists. An additional appendix   lists   surviving manuscripts.

The Royal Image: Illustrations of the Grandes Chroniques de France, 1274-1422 (California Studies in the History of Art) PDF

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