Tree of Battles IlluminationMaster of Johannes Gielemans (attrib.)

This miniature (c.1445) from Honoré Bouvet’s L’Arbre des Batailles depicts knights in full armor clashing under a branching tree, with mounted nobles commanding amidst the melee. The image conveys Bouvet’s theme that war touches all estates—kings, clergy, and commoners alike. Created in the era of the Hundred Years’ War and papal schism, it reflects efforts to impose justice and divine law on the chaos of battle.