Abbot John Whethamstede’s Chronicle of the Abbey of St Albans
Abbot John Whethamstede's Register aka Chronicle of his second term at the Abbey of St Albans, 1451-1461, is a remarkable text that describes his first-hand experience of the beginning of the Wars of the Roses including the First and Second Battles of St Albans, 1455 and 1461, respectively, their cause, and their consequences, not least on the Abbey itself. His text also includes Loveday, Blore Heath, Northampton, the Act of Accord, Wakefield, and Towton, and ends with the Coronation of King Edward IV. In addition to the events of the Wars of the Roses, Abbot John, or his scribes who wrote the Chronicle, include details in the life of the Abbey such as charters, letters, land exchanges, visits by legates, and disputes, which provide a rich insight into the day-to-day life of the Abbey, and the challenges faced by its Abbot.
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On 25th March 1823 Jean-Baptiste Bertrand was born.
1869. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand [aged 45]. "The Death of Virginie".
1872. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand [aged 48]. "Death of Ophelia".
1875. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand [aged 51]. "Lesbie and the sparrow". The subject of our painting is both a praise of the favorite animal and a lamentation over its death, a common theme in antiquity. It can also bear an erotic significance, with the death of the sparrow, an animal whose melodious voice endowed it with a reputation for sensuality, symbolizing the end of a passionate love. Lesbia was the mistress of the poet Catullus (87-54 BC) to whom he dedicated many poems (half of the 118 that have survived). The wife of a consul, she was famous for her libertine ways and inspired the artists of her time. Catullus is said to have given her the nickname Lesbia in reference to the Greek poet Sappho, who lived on the island of Lesbos. Sappho ran a school for women there, where eroticism and poetry were taught.
1876. Jean-Baptiste Bertrand [aged 52]. "Ophelia".
On 26th September 1887 Jean-Baptiste Bertrand [aged 64] died.