The Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands constitute an interesting case for studying the function and symbolism of matrimony. This period marked an active time of change in the Low Countries: there was ongoing antagonism between the dukes of Burgundy and their Dutch subjects; shifts in the mercantile industry caused economic flux; the Reformation sparked religious tension; and the rapid expansion of the art market created a Europe-wide demand for Netherlandish fine and decorative art. In the face of upheaval, the act of marriage and the ideology surrounding it remained relatively consistent. Betrothal and marriage ceremonies in the Low Countries were quite formal compared to those in southern Europe; the quintessential northern ceremony customarily involved a priest, witnesses, and symbolic hand gestures. The images discussed in this thesis overwhelmingly reflect the importance of ritualistic behaviour in the late medieval Netherlands; the majority of them depict proper in facie ecclesiae unions, meaning “in the face of the Church.” These images of ideal marriage rituals were most commonly commissioned by members of the court or Church, and were used primarily to display wealth and power, to enhance the pageantry of court life, to draw connections with the mythic or biblical past, to promote canon law, and to reinforce cultural values. The fifty-three images studied in this thesis not only relate to discourses on medieval marriage and art history; they also fit into the larger narratives surrounding civic authority, religious tension, economic change, and social mores. In this thesis, I use an interdisciplinary approach to reveal the main functions of matrimonial ceremonies in Early Netherlandish art, and to examine the gap between image and reality. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of ritual and visual expression in the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands.

Enracinés dans un gothique très fécond, mais tournés vers d’autres horizons, les premiers peintres romanistes du XVIe siècle n’ont pas seulement bousculé toutes les conventions de la peinture traditionnelle flamande, ils ont aussi diffusé le langage classique de l’architecture antique et renaissante découverte lors de leur séjour en Péninsule. En introduisant progressivement des motifs all’antica à l’intérieur de leurs oeuvres picturales, ils ont dans une certaine mesure engagé les bâtisseurs des anciens Pays-Bas à se sensibiliser à cette nouvelle esthétique venue d’Italie. Malgré l’intérêt qu’elles représentent, leurs architectures fictives n’ont jamais été l’objet d’une analyse. À travers l’étude des décors de trois figures majeures du premier Romanisme, Jean Gossart, Bernard van Orley et Pieter Coecke van Aelst, nous tenterons de déterminer les sources de l’italianisme de leur langage afin d’évaluer leur connaissance effective en matière d’architecture classique et d’apporter un nouveau témoignage sur le développement de la Renaissance dans les anciens Pays-Bas. / Rooted in a fertile Gothic, but turned to other horizons, the first Romanists painters of the XVIth century have not only knocked down all the conventions of the traditional Flemish painting, but they have also broadcasted the classic language of ancient and renaissance architecture discovered during their stay in the Peninsula. By introducing gradually motives all’antica inside their pictorial works, they have encouraged to a certain extent the builders of the Low Countries to get acquainted with this new aesthetics come from Italy. Despite the interest which they represent, their fictitious architectures have never been studied. Through the study of the architectural backgrounds of three major figures of the first Romanism, Jean Gossart, Bernard van Orley and Pieter Coecke van Aelst, we shall try to determine the sources of the Italianism of their language to evaluate their effective knowledge in classic architecture and to bring a new testimony on the development of the Renaissance in the Low Countries.

The Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands constitute an interesting case for studying the function and symbolism of matrimony. This period marked an active time of change in the Low Countries: there was ongoing antagonism between the dukes of Burgundy and their Dutch subjects; shifts in the mercantile industry caused economic flux; the Reformation sparked religious tension; and the rapid expansion of the art market created a Europe-wide demand for Netherlandish fine and decorative art. In the face of upheaval, the act of marriage and the ideology surrounding it remained relatively consistent. Betrothal and marriage ceremonies in the Low Countries were quite formal compared to those in southern Europe; the quintessential northern ceremony customarily involved a priest, witnesses, and symbolic hand gestures. The images discussed in this thesis overwhelmingly reflect the importance of ritualistic behaviour in the late medieval Netherlands; the majority of them depict proper in facie ecclesiae unions, meaning “in the face of the Church.” These images of ideal marriage rituals were most commonly commissioned by members of the court or Church, and were used primarily to display wealth and power, to enhance the pageantry of court life, to draw connections with the mythic or biblical past, to promote canon law, and to reinforce cultural values. The fifty-three images studied in this thesis not only relate to discourses on medieval marriage and art history; they also fit into the larger narratives surrounding civic authority, religious tension, economic change, and social mores. In this thesis, I use an interdisciplinary approach to reveal the main functions of matrimonial ceremonies in Early Netherlandish art, and to examine the gap between image and reality. This thesis contributes to a better understanding of ritual and visual expression in the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands.

This study presents a comparative approach between the time of the Belgic Confession and of the Korean Church under Japanese rule. Both the early Low Countries and Korea received Protestantism through martyrdom and persecution. During the sixteen century the Low Countries were under the Spanish rule. The Low Countries were deeply influenced by the Reformation. Many historians have noted that the people in the Low Countries suffered persecutions on the basis of their nationality and religious beliefs by the Roman Catholic Church and the Spanish government. The heroes of the Low Countries were William of Orange, the political leader of his native country, and Guido de Bres a religious leader. William of Orange, and his son, Maurice of Orange, accomplished their country’s political independence with outstanding leadership. Guido de Bres was a travelling preacher who preached the gospel in the Low Countries. He drafted the Belgic Confession. It is authorized as one of the most wonderful Reformed confessions. Korea received the gospel through the Western missionary R. J. Thmoas. Korea was under Japanese rule since the end of the nineteen century. Korean Christianity helped the Korean people when the Koreans were oppressed. From the late 1920s, the Japanese forced Koreans in Shinto Shrine Worship. Shinto Shrine Worship was the worship of the King of Japan. The Korean people could not accept Shinto Shrine Worship. Korean Christians judged Shinto Shrine Worship to be idol worship and opposed it. However, Korean Protestants abandoned their faith, due to the Japanese’ threat of military power. Some pastors resisted Shinto Shrine Worship. Pastor Joo Ki-Chul was a leader of the resistance and died for his faith. There are similarities and differences between the struggle of the Low Countries and Korea. Both the early Low Countries and early Korean Church produced spiritual martyrs like Guido de Bres and Joo Ki-Chul. They were martyrs, patriots and preachers. In both countries Christians faced horrible persecutions by the ruling tyrants. But while the Low Countries struggled for their independence to the end, most Korean Christians had to desert their faith in the face of continued pressure from the Japanese. In spite of this some Korean Christians remained strong till the bitter end. The Low Countries’ religious persecution came to an end, but North Korea’s Christians are still suffering under the communist regime. In spite of terrible persecution by the communist government, there are many Christians in underground churches who long for religious and political freedom. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted

Il est dusage de considérer que la dynastie des Bourbons est parvenue à sinstaller sur le trône des Rois Catholiques en faisant appel à de nombreux étrangers auxquels elle a confié les principaux emplois de commandement militaire et territorial. Cette présence étrangère dans lEtat bourbonien a été interprétée par lhistoriographie comme la preuve dune méfiance profonde de Philippe V et de Louis XIV à légard des élites espagnoles. La thèse trouve son point de départ dans lanalyse du rôle et de la place des étrangers dans la monarchie hispanique au XVIIIe siècle, à travers le cas des Flamands, lun des groupes numériquement les plus nombreux. Néanmoins, lexamen détaillé des trajectoires individuelles et des processus de sélection a rapidement permis de prendre une distance critique à légard des présupposés de départ. En effet, dune part, les Bourbons dEspagne nont pas établi de distinction entre les sujets régnicoles et non régnicoles en accordant un régime de faveur aux seconds au détriment des premiers. Dautre part, les individus qui se revendiquent « Flamands » recouvrent un éventail de trajectoires très diverses, beaucoup nayant parfois aucun des marqueurs didentification employés traditionnellement par lhistoire sociale pour fixer lorigine des individus (patronyme, lieu de naissance, ascendance, etc.). Loin de constituer une identité fixe, lappartenance flamande sest révélée davantage être une ressource mobilisée ponctuellement par des individus aux origines diverses à certains moments de leur trajectoire. Ce constat nous a conduit à réexaminer la signification du discours sur la nation flamande dans les contextes dusage. Il sest avéré que ce discours est employé par les acteurs sociaux pour réactiver le capital politique accumulé par les familles des Pays-Bas fidèles à la dynastie bourbonienne pendant la guerre de Succession dEspagne. En effet, au début de son règne, Philippe V a attiré à lui les familles de la monarchie hispanique les plus dévouées à sa cause, et leur a garanti un statut de privilèges. La refondation de la Maison militaire a notamment permis de constituer un bastion contrôlé par ces familles. Le philippisme cette politique de fidélisation des élites sest exercé sans distinction dorigine dans tous les territoires de la monarchie. Pour les familles philippistes des Pays-Bas, la récompense sest traduite par des emplois réservés dans lentourage du roi et la promesse dune mobilité professionnelle dans lappareil dEtat. Loin de constituer une proto-identité nationale, le discours sur la nation flamande se décline sur le mode des langages corporatistes et vise à réactiver la mémoire des services rendus pendant le conflit successoral pour garantir le maintien demplois réservés. Suivre lévolution de cette identité professionnelle fossilisée a permis danalyser la prégnance de la mémoire du conflit successoral dans lEspagne du XVIIIe siècle, et de voir jusquà quand et comment léconomie des faveurs des Bourbons sorganise autour des clivages politiques hérités du début du siècle. En continuant à récompenser les héritiers des lignages philippistes, longtemps après la fin de la guerre de Succession, la dynastie entretient de profondes divisions au sein des élites du royaume. La disparition de ce langage corporatiste sur la nation flamande correspond dailleurs à une importante transformation des configurations sociales et politiques à la fin du XVIIIe siècle, qui voit lémergence dune nouvelle opposition nobiliaire. It has usually been considered that Philipp V used foreigners to reimplace Spanish nobles, notably in the army and in territorial administration, because of his profound mistrust towards local elites. This research is an attempt to appraise the validity of this interpretation, studying Flemish units officers of the royal guard. Reformed by 1701, this institution gave the opportunity to numerous Netherlands families to establish themselves permanently in Spain. Furthermore, all along the 18th century, a majority of territorial administrations commanders came from the royal guard. Since then, the prosopographical analysis, based on private, administrative, and notarial sources, focuses on social and political dynamics which were set up around the institution. The aim is to understand the mechanisms of military elites professional mobility within the borbon State. This study challenges the relevance of a cleavage which would oppose "foreigners" and "Spaniards". Opposite, it emphasizes the importance of the fidelity to Philipp V built by a few families during the War of Succession. The king rewarded these family groups by giving them an institutional basis the military household which enabled them to monopolise main employments in the army and the territorial administration. The memory of "Philippism" allowed these families to remain powerful long after Philipp Vs death, being opposed to any reform of the privileged corps. When Charles IV, thanks to Godoy, finally managed to control them, the military oligarchy rose up in Aranjuez in 1808.

L'hétérogénéité des tendances de la sculpture religieuse du XVIIe siècle dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais reflète l'étendue et la diversité des régions qui le constituent. Ces départements sont un lieu de rencontre confrontant des oeuvres sculptées d'origine locale, régionale avec d'autres importées à partir d'autres centres des anciens Pays-Bas du Sud, de Paris ou de Picardie. La sculpture de qualité, liée au mobilier d'église, constitue l'essentiel de la production de cette époque et répondait aux orientations imposées par la réforme catholique. La révolution, les guerres ainsi que les changements de goût sont la cause principale de la perte d'une part considérable de ce patrimoine. Adam Lottman à Valenciennes, secondé par Jaspard Marsy à Cambrai s'imposent pour le Nord-Pas-de-Calais comme les meilleurs sculpteurs. Nous disposons d'éléments moins concrets sur d'autres sculpteurs, localement actifs, tels Antoine Liesse, Pierre Schleiff, Guillaume Tabaguet et Thomas Tieullier, pour ne citer que les plus importants. Au travers du siècle, la production régionale fut concurrencée par celle des sculpteurs anversois tels que Jean, Robert et André de Nole, Jacques Cocx ou Artus Quellin dit l'ancien et le jeune. Avec la conquête graduelle et définitive des régions, essentiellement par Louis XIV, s'installe une influence du classicisme français en sculpture, assuré en premier lieu par l'amiénois Nicolas Blasset. Ce n'est qu'à la fin du siècle qu'on retrouve des oeuvres d'autres Sculpteurs du Roi tels que François Girardon ou Jean Drouilly, au moment où les influences vont fusionner pour s'estomper au profit d'un style "français" porté par la puissance politique de la monarchie absolue. / Heterogeneity of the trends in religious sculpture of the XVIIth century in the Nord-Pas-de-Calaisreflects the extend and diversity of the regions of which these departments are made up. These departments are a meeting area where sculptural works of local and regional origin are facing comparison with imported sculptures from the Southern Low Countries, Paris or even Picardy. High quality sculptures, related to church furnishings, in keeping with the lines of conduct enforced by the Catholic Reform, make up the essential part of the production of that time. The French Revolution, wars and even changes in taste are the main causes of the loss of a considerable part of this cultural heritage. In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Adam Lottman at Valenciennes, assisted by Jaspard Marsy at Cambrai, are regarded as the best sculptors. Less concrete data are available on other artists such as Antoine Liesse, Pierre Schleiff, Guillaume Tabaguet and Thomas Tieullier, to mention only the most important ones. Throughout the century, the regional production was facing competition from Antwerp sculptors, such as Jan, Robert and André de Nole, Jacques Cocx or Artus Quellin the Older and the Younger. The gradual and final conquest of the regions, mainly by Louis XIV, established the influence of French classicism in sculpture, materialised primarily by Nicolas Blasset from Amiens. Not until the end of the century, at the time when influences start to merge and finally shrink into a "French" style, stimulated by the political power of the absolute monarchy, do we find worls of other "Royal Sculptors" (Sculpteurs du Roi) such as François Girardon and Jean Drouilly.