THE ROLE OF MONUMENTAL HERALDRY IN THE POLITICS OF THE DUKES OF BOURBON, 1327-1531

In this talk, Antoine Robin will present his doctoral research on the visual politics of the dukes of Bourbon, and more specifically, the use of signs of power – coats of arms and emblems – in the construction of a politicised monumental landscape in the late Middle Ages.

Mr Robin will thus examine the various manifestations of heraldic art commissioned by the Bourbon dukes, from 1327 to 1531, in both secular and religious contexts, but also the political and territorial stakes of these signs of power, including in their simplest forms such as banners or armorial markers at the borders of the principality.

Finally, Mr Robin will examine the function of commemoration and dynastic celebration of monumental heraldry, particularly in the expression of the filiation link between the Bourbons and the royal blood.

Antoine Robin

After defending a master thesis on heraldic iconoclasm in early modern France under the direction of M. Laurent Hablot at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Dr Robin undertook a PhD thesis on monumental heraldry in the Bourbon principality, under the direction of M. Laurent Hablot (EPHE) and M. Olivier Mattéoni (Sorbonne). Since 2021, he has also been working as a research fellow at the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art.