Bertrand du Guesclin prend la ville de Mantes en 1364

This illustration depicts Bertrand du Guesclin taking the town of Mantes in 1364. Bertrand du Guesclin was one of the most famous French military leaders of the 14th century. The capture of Mantes belongs to the conflicts of the time of Charles V and to the broader context of the Hundred Years’ War, in which Du Guesclin distinguished himself through his military energy and his growing role in the service of the French crown. Narrative and heroic in character, the image also reflects the 19th-century taste for great scenes from the national past and for visualizing the exploits attributed to major French military figures.