C016L Siege of Lourdes by the troops of the Duke of Anjou in 1373 Froissart’s Chronicles

The composition presents a scene of military conflict centered around a fortified structure. A substantial stone castle dominates the background, its architecture suggesting a medieval European style with crenellations and multiple towers. The sky above is rendered in a pale blue, providing a backdrop for the action unfolding below.
In the foreground, a chaotic melee is depicted. Soldiers clad in armor engage in close-quarters combat. Some are actively fighting, wielding swords and shields; others lie fallen on the ground, casualties of the battle. A distinctive red cross adorns the surcoats or shields of several figures, potentially indicating allegiance to a specific faction. The artist has employed a limited palette – primarily blues, greens, browns, and grays – which contributes to the overall somber tone of the scene.
A wooden siege ladder is prominently positioned against the castle walls, suggesting an attempt at breaching the defenses. This detail underscores the attacking force’s intention to overcome the fortifications through direct assault. The landscape surrounding the castle appears as a gently sloping field, rendered in green hues, which provides a relatively open space for the battle to unfold.
The arrangement of figures and their postures convey a sense of urgency and violence. The fallen soldiers are scattered across the foreground, emphasizing the cost of conflict. The dynamic poses of the combatants suggest movement and intensity. The artist’s use of perspective is somewhat flattened, typical of manuscript illumination, which prioritizes clarity and narrative over realistic spatial representation.
Subtly, the work seems to convey a message about the brutality of warfare and the challenges faced in conquering fortified positions. The prominence of the red cross might be interpreted as an assertion of religious or political identity within the conflict. The overall impression is one of a historical event rendered with a focus on depicting the immediate action and its human toll, rather than offering a nuanced exploration of strategic considerations or broader political context.