Title: Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen
Subtitle: Studie over levens- en gedachtenvormen der veertiende en vijftiende eeuw in Frankrijk en de Nederlanden
First published: 1924
Description: *Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen* is het bekendste werk van de historicus Johan Huizinga uit 1919.
In het werk presenteert Huizinga het idee dat de overdreven formaliteit en romantiek van het laatmiddeleeuwse hofleven een verdedigingsmechanisme was tegen de toenemende verruwing van de maatschappij.

Huizinga gebruikte voor Herfsttij kronieken en literatuur als bronnen en bewust geen archiefstukken. Zijn boek is, meer dan een kunsthistorische studie, een proeve van cultuur- en mentaliteitsgeschiedenis.

Source: [Wikipedia](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herfsttij_der_Middeleeuwen)


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From the Preface of the English translation:

The present work deals with the history of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries regarded as a period of termination, as the close of the Middle Ages. Such a view of them presented itself to the author of this volume, whilst endeavouring to arrive at a genuine understanding of the art of the brothers Van Eyck and their contemporaries, that is to say, to grasp its meaning by seeing it in connection with the entire life of their times. Now the common feature of the various manifestations of civilization of that epoch proved to be inherent rather in that which links them to the past than in the germs which they contain of the future. The significance, not of the artists alone, but also of theologians, poets, chroniclers, princes and statesmen, could be best appreciated by considering them, not as the harbingers of a coming culture, but as perfecting and concluding the old.

This English edition is not a simple translation of the original Dutch (second edition 1921, first 1919), but the result of a work of adaptation, reduction and consolidation under the author's directions. The references, here left out, may be found in full in the original.
Subjects: Art, Medieval, Civilization, Civilization, Medieval, Fifteenth century, Fourteenth century, History, Medieval Art, Medieval Civilization, Middle Ages, Social history, Social life and customs, Manners and customs, Conditions sociales, Civilisation médiévale, Moyen Âge, Cultuurgeschiedenis, Social conditions, Middle ages, history, France, social life and customs, Netherlands, social life and customs, Civilisation, Netherlands, history, Europe, history, 476-1492, Civilisation medievale, Mœurs et coutumes, French language books, Idade me dia, Civilización -, FRANCIA, Sec. 14.-15, Civiltà, France, civilization, Netherlands, civilization, Montepulciano, Italy. S. Maria dei Servi (Church)
Places: France, Netherlands, belgium, Pays-Bas, Franc ʹa;holanda
People: painters like the van Eyks, poets like Christine de Pisan, jan de Meun
Time periods: 1000-1328, 1328-1600, Medieval, 500-1500