Several written texts, often long and detailed, are preserved from late-medieval times dealing with events thought worth to be remembered by those who took part in them and by members of their families. Well-known are descriptions from some extravagant wedding festivities, and from pilgrimages to Palestine, e g the one from 1483-84 that is described by Bernhard of Breydenbach and printed in 1486 (Peregrinationes in Terram Sanctam), illustrated with woodcuts by E Reuwich, an artist who has often but with little reason been put in connection with Housebook drawings.

Some detailed descriptions of events at the Council of Constance in 1414-1418 are preserved in later copies, but the original written by U Richental, probably around 1425, is lost. A version thought to have been copied in the 1460s was printed in 1483 illustrated with c. 1100 remarkable woodcuts. Some of these illustrations show lively scenes reminding of the drawings of courtly life in the Housebook, pointing at the possibility that they may have been known by the main Housebook Master.

The drawings in the Housebook, which so long have been interpreted as ´genre´ scenes of courtly life, may in fact be based on sketches made at certain festivities in the circle of the Roman German Emperor Frederick III. The always recocnizable style, ´livelier than life´, is thought to be unique for the main Master of the Housebook. There are, however, certain differences between the pages, making it uncertain when it is the question of originals by him. Quite as with photographs in our days, several of the portrayed may have been interested in copies. At least some of the scenes in the now preserved version of the Housebook may have been composed from different sources, sometimes maybe from copies and even from copies of copies. When trying to interpret the scenes correctly one has to keep in mind also the possibility that, as with most reportages, some circumstances may have been misunderstood by the artist, or based on misinformation.

Frederick III of Hapsburg was very proud of his dynasty. When carefully planning that his only surviving son Maximilian should follow him as Roman German king and emperor, he arranged for a thorough education of him in learned and military skills, in which also the prince’s mother Eleonora of Portugal was engaged. Maximilian was a strong child, reported to have taken part at very early age in a tournament before his mother. It may be a scene from the training in the late 1460s for such an event that we see in the drawings on fol. 21v-22r, where a seemingly not yet 10-year-old Maximilian is holding a standard with a device. In the group to the right of him we see a gesticulating man with the letters WE visible on his left arm, probably meaning Werdenberg and referring to one of the brothers of Bishop Johann of Augsburg, most likely Count Haug of Werdenberg, a very important person at the court of Emperor Frederick, regularly sent around on diplomatic missions.

At least the double-page drawing of the Encampment seemes to have been composed by the main Housebook Master himself, most likely with the help of sketches made at the camp. Also the other military scenes are probably by this artist’s own hand. The reportage drawings on the double-pages fol. 18v-19r and 19v-20r, representing high-ranked nobles acting at some obviously very distinguished wedding festivities, are more refined. It is a difficult question if we here may see compositions by the master himself or maybe works by someone who with the help of the master’s drawings has arranged these in elegant landscapes and architectural surroundings. One might guess on an artist as good as the young Martin Schongauer, maybe as a travelling journeyman.

The elegant man wearing Emperor Frederick’s Order of the Jug seems to be meant to show the young Maximilian. He is discussing with a beautiful young lady, most likely his wife since 1477 Duchess Mary of Burgundy, later deceased already in 1482. The lady behind them is probably meant to show Mary’s mother Margaret of York. Proudly walking in the background is a very distinguished couple, of whom the lady may be Princess Sidonie of Bohemia, a daughter of King Georg Podiebrad, because she has likeness to the lady on a portrait that I guess shows this princess (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), by E Buchner attributed to Jakob Elsner and called Bildnis einer Frau mit golddurchwirkter Haube.

Beside this supposed Princess Sidonie we would then see her consort Albrecht der Beherzter, Duke of Sachsen, looking at a tall fountain on which a water squirting figure holds a shield whose cross probably refers to Albrecht’s pilgrimage to Palestine. The successful commander Albrecht is probably portrayed also on a pendant to the supposed Sidonie portrait (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg), by Buchner interpreted as Bildnis eines Jünglings and likewise attributed to Elsner. It is obviously the question of wedding portraits, because he is holding a forget-me-not and the supposed Sidonie a carnation. The portraits would then have been painted in connection with their marriage in 1464. Duke Albrecht was highly valued by Emperor Frederick since his rapid and effective help at the Neuss war; in 1483 he was to be granted Anwartshaft of Jülich and Berg.

Portrayed as especially prominent guests at this feast is also a young couple sitting on a bench in the lower left foreground. The Master of the Housebook seems here to show both how well-informed he is of actual high-ranked marriage troubles, and his good sense for humour. It may here be the question of Count Johann of Nassau-Dillenburg, with a falcon and a money-bag, discussing with his future consort Elisabeth of Hessen, carefully reading the marriage conditions. This at the time very much discussed couple was to be married on 11 February 1482. A further guess could be that we on the opposite page, fol. 19r, may see the 26-year-old Duke Wilhelm IV of Jülich and Berg, if so standing thoroughly refreshed at a table at the festivity on 8 July 1481 when he was married in Cologne to Sybille of Brandenburg, one of Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg’s daughters. This feast, from which there exists a report that an Ausfürlichkeit nichts zu wünschen übrig lässt, is mentioned as one at which ´everybody´ was present, among them the young Maximilian. The preserved description of this festivity seems, however, to be based essentially on what was planned, not on what really took place. It is e g not mentioned that Maximilian together with wife and mother-in-law really arrived, and where they in such a case should have been placed at the tables.

Maybe parts of the drawings on these pages are based on sketches from another wedding festivity in the area. A couple of months after the mentioned event in Cologne Count Palatine Johann I of Simmern was married to Countess Susanna (Johanna?) of Nassau-Saarbrücken on 29 September 1481. No written report seems to have been preserved from this wedding, so we do not know if Maximilian, his wife and the other nobilities mentioned above were among the guests. There is, however, at this time a real connection to the Housebook, as a Book of Hours was produced c. 1481-82 for this couple with very elegant decorations in the margins in a style clearly related to the Housebook. This manuscript on parchment, named after the bridegroom’s mother Margaret, a daughter of Duke Arnold of Guelders, is preserved in Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin.

As just welcomed on this probably warm summerday some newly arrived guests are refreshing themselves in the bath. Maybe we here see Markgraf Johann Cicero of Brandenburg, with at his right side his wife Margaret of Sachsen. The young lady in the window over the bath-room may be the bride, hiding for her future consort. Two seemingly university educated young men are entertaining the guests. At least the one to the left in the bath seems to be of special interest, as we will see him again a couple of times in other drawings in the Housebook, at one occation wearing Emperor Frederick’s Order of the Jug. Maybe he is meant to be one of Jos. Niclas of Zollern’s younger sons, who is mentioned to have been raised together with Maximilian, in whose wars he took part and was killed.

On the doublepage fol. 19v-20r we see a city at the left horizon. At the low margin we may recognize again the ladies guessed to be the duchesses Mary of Burgundy and her mother, the widow Margaret of York, here amusing themselves sitting in a small boat. Johann I of Simmern’s bride Susanne was a sister of Duke Wilhelm of Jülich and Berg’s early deceased first wife Elisabeth of Nassau-Saarbrücken. Maybe it is the obviously happily engaged couple Duchess Susanne and Count Palatine Johann I of Simmern that is portrayed standing at the left margin of fol. 19v. This supposed Johann may also be recognizable as the one who is playing for the group in the bath on fol. 19r. On the bridge to a small Wasserburg stands another distinguished young couple, maybe the already mentioned Johann of Nassau-Dillenburg and Elisabeth of Hessen.

The beautiful and thoroughly calculated tournament scenes on the double-page 20v-21r are seemingly based on drawings by the main master but here copied in a harder style and with no landscape surroundings at all. It has the character of being composed with the help of cuts from different originals in order to be very effectful, in this way in fact a kind of grenre drawing, although all the represented persons originally may have been meant to be recognizable. The man at the upper right corner is obviously the same lively man that we saw already on fol. 22r and supposed to be Emperor Frederick’s diplomat Count Haug of Werdenberg, known to have been responsible also for the arranging of ceremonies at the emperor’s court. Riding below him, just at the right margin, is a young man dressed in red and wearing Emperor Frederick’s Order of the Jug. He is easily recognizable as the young Maximilian, e g from the well-known early portrait that shows him holding two carnations (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna).

Riding on the horse beside Maximilian is probably one of his near friends Markgraf Johann Cicero of Brandenburg, the eldest son of Albrecht Achilles, by me thought to be seen already in the representation of the Encampment at Neuss and as a newly arrived guest in the bath. Johann Cicero’s presence would indicate that the bride on the horse might be one of his sisters, if so most likely Amalie, who on 19 April 1478 was married to Count Palatine Kaspar of Zweibrücken, but died very unhappy after only three years. Maximilian is obviously very young, which strengthens a dating to the year 1478. There are, however, other elements that seem to be based on drawings from later events.

In the scene to the left of the bridal couple we probably see how the artist forwards a real indiscretion to the suspicious Frederick III, up to now unknown by history. The proud and self-continent man on the horse, probably Duke Albrecht of Bavaria-Munich, delivers a message, thought to be secret, to a shy young lady dressed in red, who may be the emperor’s daughter Kunigunde. At the beginning of 1487 this couple was married without the consent of her father, which makes a dating of this scene likely to the middle of the 1480s. The supposed Kunigunde’s lady in attendance, dressed in green, may be the already mentioned Margaret of Sachsen, since 1476 married to Johann Cicero of Brandenburg.

The hot-tempered young man who is gesticulating in the middle left of fol. 21r may be Johann Cicero’s younger brother Friedrich of Brandenburg. I have guessed that we met him already in the Encampment. He is mentioned as his father’s favourite son, although not very clever, stuck-up and cruel. He ended in insanity and was imprisoned by his own children during several years. The skilful characterization of such a temperament in few lines is astonishing. At the lower left corner of this page we see the three who are chosen to judge the tournament. The one to the left may be recognized as Friedrich of Zollern, the later Bishop of Augsburg, of whom there is an excellent portrait preserved in Städtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg, painted in 1490 by Hans Burgkmair the Elder. Although eldest of the Zollern brothers Friedrich was early decided for an ecclesiastical career, maybe because he was physically unfitted for military service.

The judge next to him is with his extremely long wooden shoes characterized as very important. I guess that we here may see Duke Georg of Bavaria-Landshut, like the supposed Friedrich of Brandenburg on the horse above him married to a daughter of King Casimir IV of Poland. Represented as the third judge seems to be the already mentioned Eitel Friedrich II of Zollern. It is remarkable to see him here portrayed in profile in a way as if partly copied from the supposed small representation of him in the Encampment, which strengthens my guess that the artist here may be a copyist composing from different sources.

A very young man with a face radiating intelligens and energy assists the man, who to the right is preparing for the tournament. He is dressed in blue as is also the already mentioned judge, who I have guessed may be Georg of Bavaria-Landshut. He has such a great resemblance to A Dürer’s very detailed drawing of the c. 50-year-old Matthäus Lang (Kupferstichkabinett, Basel), a man from Augsburg born c. 1468, that it seems possible that it in fact is a teen-aged Lang we see here in intense activity. Although not of noble birth Lang made an excellent career. After studies in Ingolstadt, Tübingen and Vienna he had different appointments until he became very important in the service of Maximilian during several years. He was appointed a cardinal by Pope Leo X and ended as Archbishop of Salzburg in 1519. His sister Appolonia is mentioned to have been a mistress of Georg of Bavaria-Landshut.

In the lower right corner an elegant young man is attending a likewise very elegant young girl, obviously two important persons, who here show their belonging to the high society. She is dressed in red as Maximilian and his sister Kunigunde, which points at the possibility that she actually may have been attached to the emperor’s court. One may guess that the man could be Johann of Öttingen, a cousin of the mentioned Housebook owner Joachim of Öttingen. Johann is known to have taken part in Maximilian’s wars in the Netherlands and to have been educated a period in Pavia under the guidance of the learned R Agricola. He married in 1483 Elisabeth de Condé in the Netherlands.

It is difficult to suggest a name of the man who to the right is preparing for the tournament, because the abounding texts on him and on his horse were most likely added by the copyist. It has been guessed that the texts might allude to a tournament hero Heinrich Mang of Hohenreichen, Marshal of Pappenheim. A more likely Heinrich would be Duke Heinrich of Münsterberg - a son of King Georg Podiebrad - who since 1467 was married to Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg’s eldest daughter Ursula. The single letter F seems confusing; maybe it is in a way related to the fact that all the five Zollern brothers were baptized Friedrich, the eldest with the name single, the other four with it added to further Christian names.

The man on the tournament horse to the left could be Duke Albrecht of Sachsen. The decoration on the horse reminds near of that on the dress on the portrait in Germanisches Nationalmuseum, that I have here before suggested might show him. The artist has in his composition placed the man on the horse just behind this supposed Albrecht as a counter part to Maximilian, the most prominent man on the opposite page. This man’s horse is also decorated just as Maximilian’s. He seems to be very much alike the man that I have thought might be Duke Wilhelm of Jülich and Berg, the supposed bridegroom on fol. 19r.

The very distinguished man in the lower left corner we probably saw already at the Encampment at Neuss. He may be Philip of Pfalz, also here shown with irony, dressed in a coat too big for him. It is possible that the couple in the upper left corner is meant to be Eberhard II of Württemberg together with his wife since 1467 Elisabeth of Brandenburg, a daughter of Albrecht Achilles. On the horse beside this couple we may see again the happy couple Johann I of Simmern and Susanne of Nassau-Saarbrücken, married since 1481. The man at the upper right corner of this left half of the double-page is seemingly the organizer of the tournament. As I will try to show in the following, this modest-looking man may be the so long anonymous Master of the Housebook, here obviously engaged in arranging festivities at the wedding.

In the group at the lower right corner of this half-page we see from the back an obviously very distinguished man, assisted by a young man. Maybe they are meant to be Jos. Niclas’s stepfather, the already mentioned supposed owner of the coat of arms with the asts, Count Sigmund of Hohenberg - deceased shortly later in 1486 - together with one of Jos. Niclas’s younger sons.

Copyright © 2001-2007 Knut Andersson. All rights reserved.