And the English were winning.
Then something wholly unexpected happened.
The appearance of seventeen-year-old Joan of Arc at the siege of Orl閍ns sparked a revival of French spirit, and the tide began to turn against the English. They had laid siege to Orl閍ns in 1428 but had been unable to take the city. In 1429 Joan persuaded Charles to send her to Orl閍ns, saying she had received visions from God telling her to drive out the English. Her religious fervor raised the morale of the troops, and they attacked, lifting the siege. Inspired by Joan, the French claimed several more English strongholds along the river Loire. Those victories opened the way for the dauphin to march to Reims for his coronation as Charles VII, which happened on July 16, 1429.
Ultimately, the war affected alliances throughout France. Some nobles remained loyal to Charles, while others aligned with the English. The most powerful to take the English side was Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders, Artois, and Franche-Comt? Philip fervently believed that Charles had been involved with the murder of his father, John the Fearless. So he waged a civil war on Charles, which eventually entangled itself in the larger Hundred Years?conflict. In 1420 Philip formally allied himself with Henry V of England against Charles.
On May 23, 1430, Philip抯 Burgundian troops captured Joan of Arc and sold her to the English, who orchestrated a heresy trial against her conducted by pro-Burgundian clerics that ended in her execution. The Hundred Years?War continued for twenty-two years after her death. Eventually, Philip switched sides and joined with Charles VII, helping the French to finally banish the English from the continent. That move cemented his control over Burgundy and elevated him to the status of kingmaker.
Philip抯 reign as duke was a long and enlightened one. So much so that he acquired the label of the Good. He eventually presided over an extended period of peace, which encouraged a flourishing of thought dominated by knightly chivalry. Though poverty remained rife, burghers grew wealthy from increased commerce and developed a highly genteel lifestyle. Philip himself maintained no fixed capital and moved between his two richest territories, Burgundy and Flanders, and his various palaces, the main ones being in Brussels, Bruges, and Lille. His court was regarded as the most splendid in Europe, a leader in taste and fashion, which catapulted Flemish goods into the most sought-after commodities in Europe.
During his forty-eight-year reign Philip added six hundred illuminated manuscripts to the ducal collection. He commissioned tapestries, jewelry, paintings, and other works of art. The Burgundian school of composers and singers rose to prominence. He was a serious patron of artists and only the best of the best worked for him.
One artist in particular always had his favor.
Jan van Eyck.
Bernat had studied van Eyck.
Born in Belgium sometime between 1380 and 1390. No one knew which year for sure. By 1422 he worked at The Hague as a master painter, then in 1425 he became Philip the Good抯 court painter and confidant. So close were they that Philip became godfather to one of van Eyck抯 sons. He also undertook a number of confidential spy missions abroad on Philip抯 behalf for both diplomatic and intelligence purposes, and the Duke of Burgundy came to rely upon him.
Only about twenty works have ever been definitively attributed to van Eyck, all signed with his Als ich kan, As I can, which he added in Greek characters. He painted both secular and religious subjects as well as commissioned portraits. Philip paid him well and allowed him the artistic freedom to create whatever and whenever he pleased. All of his works emphasized naturalism and realism, creating a new level of virtuosity in the use of oil paint, the Ghent Altarpiece his crowning achievement. History labeled van Eyck a Renaissance man a hundred years before there was such a thing, and he lived a full life, dying in 1441. Now the resurrected Just Judges, existing only as images on a computer screen, was set to reappear before the world.
And he抎 be a part of that.
But first he had to twist the knife he抎 inserted into Gerard Vilamur?One more time.
Chapter 24
Ghent
1:00 p.m.
Kelsey entered Saint Bavo抯 Cathedral, Ghent抯 largest and most monumental house of worship. A rugged, hulking structure. A blend of French and Gothic, its portrait gallery, bishop抯 seat, mausoleums, side chapels, and tombs all reflective of its special role as an episcopal church. Ten centuries of precious art was displayed inside.
She marveled at its interior with single aisles and short transepts, striking for its simple dignity and high arches. A vertical grandeur unfolded in massive columns that stood on high plinths, as if reaching for heaven. The many sandstone ribs in the complex vaults stretched in stark contrast with the unadorned brick walls. Across the nave she admired the elegant black-and-white high choir near an opulent rococo pulpit, curiously topped with a golden serpent. The church seemed welcoming without trying too hard. Touristy, but not overly so. It had been a cathedral since the sixteenth century and had borne witness to a multitude of historic events. Most notable it served as home to The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. The altarpiece occupied a former baptismal chamber, displayed in all its glory by special lighting behind bulletproof glass.