Author Description

In 1400, Bruges is a dynamic centre of international trade. An unidentified patron commissions several copyists in the city to produce an anthology of poems, prayers and songs. This anthology, which we now call the Gruuthuse Manuscript, later on proved to be of immense cultural importance, since it was the only source for many Middle-Dutch texts. 'Egidius waer bestu bleven' ('Where did you go, Egidius?') is perhaps the best known song from the collection. The manuscript was purchased for the Royal Library in The Hague in 2007. It is due to return to Bruges in 2013 for the exhibition 'Love & Devotion. The Gruuthuse Manuscript'. The texts in the manuscript sing the praises of earthly and heavenly love, friendship and belonging, and inspired artisanship. 0Exhibition: Groeninge Museum, Bruges, Belgium (22.3.-23.6.2013). 0.