The Hours of Catherine of Cleves, a deep flash-back into this colourful world full of violence and dreadful epidemics.
The well born could enjoy life and its pleasures within the limits of the religious duties like Catherine did, fascinating journey into her life through her so well-kept books.
The morning spent at Nijmegen museum, modern and well designed reminded me of hours spent at the British Museum in the late sixties. One click and here I am linking this recent Nijmegen discovery to my student days, but the British Museum has been transformed and modernised probably I would not find those small rooms displaying minute religious precious objects hardly lit up in those days.
Here,the display of costumes and the videos explained clearly this feudal period and everyday life where the rich and the poor could hardly be confused, if it is now sometimes difficult to tell which social background someone comes from, as there is a uniformisation of casual looks, in those days it was quite obvious. Catherine's table was so rich too.
In her very rich book of hours I found myself without clues to read some images, and as I did not take notes I kept the memory of the drawing, where a tree is being sawn, (to make a bridge ?) before Jesus' crucifixion. A spiritual bridge? The drawing is naïve, a long trunk with few green leaves at the top.
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