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Difference between revisions of "Girard Thibault d'Anvers"

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'''Girard Thibault d'Anvers''' (ca. 1574–1629)<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.288, 297</ref> was a [[century::17th century]] [[nationality::Dutch]] fencing master and author of the 1628 [[rapier]] manual ''[[Academie de l'Espée (Girard Thibault d'Anvers)|Academie de l'Espée]]'', one of the most detailed and elaborate sources ever written on fencing. Details about Thibault's life are sparse and what we know is based on his book and his ''album amicorum''.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.289">de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.289</ref> The latter contains handwritten notes and celebratory poems from Thibault's friends, relatives, pupils, and colleagues, included among whom are several contemporary fencing masters.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.297</ref>
+
'''Girard Thibault d'Anvers''' (ca. 1574–1627)<ref>Fontaine 1978, pp. 288, 297. Fontaine gives the date of death as '29, but it must have occurred by '27 since a copyright privilege was granted to his heirs that year.</ref> was a [[century::17th century]] [[nationality::Dutch]] fencing master and author of the 1628 [[rapier]] manual ''[[Academie de l'Espée (Girard Thibault d'Anvers)|Academie de l'Espée]]'', one of the most detailed and elaborate sources ever written on fencing. Details about Thibault's life are sparse and what we know is based on his book and his ''album amicorum''.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 289">Fontaine 1978, p. 289.</ref> The latter contains handwritten notes and celebratory poems from Thibault's friends, relatives, pupils, and colleagues, included among whom are several contemporary fencing masters.<ref>Fontaine 1978, p. 297.</ref>
  
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Thibault was born in or around 1574 in Antwerp, son of Hendrick Thibaut and Margaretha van Nispen.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.288">de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.288</ref> Although his father used the surname "Thibaut," Girard used the French form "Thibault."<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.288"/> Hendrick Thibaut came from a well-known family in Ypres, living in Ghent and Antwerp before going into exile in the northern Netherlands.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.288"/> Henrick's eldest son, Christiaen, founded the noble family Thibaut van Aegtekerke.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.288-289</ref>
+
Thibault was born in or around 1574 in Antwerp, son of Hendrick Thibaut and Margaretha van Nispen.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 288">Fontaine 1978, p. 288.</ref> Although his father used the surname "Thibaut," Girard used the French form "Thibault."<ref name="Fontaine 1978 288"/> Hendrick Thibaut came from a well-known family in Ypres, living in Ghent and Antwerp before going into exile in the northern Netherlands.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 288"/> Henrick's eldest son, Christiaen, founded the noble family Thibaut van Aegtekerke.<ref>Fontaine 1978, pp. 288-289.</ref>
  
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Thibault first studied fencing in Antwerp under Lambert van Someron, who taught between the years of 1564 and 1584.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.290">de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.290</ref> In 1605, Thibault was a wool merchant in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, south of Seville on the Guadalquivir river, and the hometown of Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.289">de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.289</ref> There, he took an interest in fencing, studying the Spanish rapier system of Destreza.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.289"/>
+
Thibault first studied fencing in Antwerp under Lambert van Someron, who taught between the years of 1564 and 1584.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 290">Fontaine 1978, p. 290.</ref> In 1605, Thibault was a wool merchant in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, south of Seville on the Guadalquivir river, and the hometown of Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 289">Fontaine 1978, p. 289.</ref> There, he took an interest in fencing, studying the Spanish rapier system of Destreza.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 289"/>
  
−
Thibault left Spain to return to the Netherlands, and was in Amsterdam as early as 1610.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.289"/> In or around 1611, he presented his system to an assembly of Dutch masters at a competition in Rotterdam.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.289-290</ref> Thibault won first prize, earning an invitation to the court of Prince Maurice of Nassau, where the Prince observed Thibault's system in a multi-day demonstration.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.290"/>
+
Thibault left Spain to return to the Netherlands, and was in Amsterdam as early as 1610.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 289"/> In or around 1611, he presented his system to an assembly of Dutch masters at a competition in Rotterdam.<ref>Fontaine 1978, pp. 289-290.</ref> Thibault won first prize, earning an invitation to the court of Prince Maurice of Nassau, where the Prince observed Thibault's system in a multi-day demonstration.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 290"/>
  
−
Although initially met with skepticism, Thibault convinced his fellow Dutch fencing masters, including Johannes Damius of Haarlem, Dirck van Stervergen of Leiden, Cornelis Cornelisz van Heusden of Amsterdam, and Thibault's former teacher Lambert von Someron.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.290"/>
+
Although initially met with skepticism, Thibault convinced his fellow Dutch fencing masters, including Johannes Damius of Haarlem, Dirck van Stervergen of Leiden, Cornelis Cornelisz van Heusden of Amsterdam, and Thibault's former teacher Lambert von Someron.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 290"/>
  
−
In 1615, Thibault was invited to the court at Cleves and left Amsterdam, where he once again demonstrated his system successfully.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.294</ref> Over the next several years, Thibault traveled from Cleves, Amsterdam, to Spain, back to Amsterdam, and finally to Leiden in 1622.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.294-296</ref> There, Thibault studied mathematics at Leiden University.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.296">de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.296</ref> It is unclear whether Thibault taught his system at the university.<ref name="Verwey, Herman Fontaine 1978 p.296"/> It is during his time in Leiden that Thibault likely began working on ''Academie de l'Espée'' and employed a team of sixteen master engravers.<ref>de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.296, 310</ref>
+
In 1615, Thibault was invited to the court at Cleves and left Amsterdam, where he once again demonstrated his system successfully.<ref>Fontaine 1978, p. 294.</ref> Over the next several years, Thibault traveled from Cleves, Amsterdam, to Spain, back to Amsterdam, and finally to Leiden in 1622.<ref>Fontaine 1978, pp. 294-296.</ref> There, Thibault studied mathematics at Leiden University.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 296">Fontaine 1978, p. 296.</ref> It is unclear whether Thibault taught his system at the university.<ref name="Fontaine 1978 296"/> It is during his time in Leiden that Thibault likely began working on ''Academie de l'Espée'' and employed a team of sixteen master engravers.<ref>Fontaine 1978, pp. 296, 310.</ref>
  
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Thibault died in 1629, a year before his masterpiece was finally published (despite the date on the title page of 1628, it was not published until 1630).<ref>Thibault, Gerard. ''Academy of the Sword.'' Trans. John Michael Greer. Highland Park, TX: The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2006. pp 1-2.</ref>
+
Thibault died in 1627, years before his masterpiece was finally published (despite the date on the title page of 1626, later manually amended to 1628 in many copies, printing didn't finish until at least 1630).<ref>Greer 2006, pp 1-2.</ref>
  
 
== Treatise ==
 
== Treatise ==

Revision as of 05:00, 1 December 2025

Girard Thibault d'Anvers
Born 1574
Died 1627(?)
Occupation Fencing master
Nationality Dutch
Movement La Verdadera Destreza
Influences
Genres Fencing manual
Language French
Notable work(s) Academie de l'Espée (1630)

Girard Thibault d'Anvers (ca. 1574–1627)[1] was a 17th century Dutch fencing master and author of the 1628 rapier manual Academie de l'Espée, one of the most detailed and elaborate sources ever written on fencing. Details about Thibault's life are sparse and what we know is based on his book and his album amicorum.[2] The latter contains handwritten notes and celebratory poems from Thibault's friends, relatives, pupils, and colleagues, included among whom are several contemporary fencing masters.[3]

Thibault was born in or around 1574 in Antwerp, son of Hendrick Thibaut and Margaretha van Nispen.[4] Although his father used the surname "Thibaut," Girard used the French form "Thibault."[4] Hendrick Thibaut came from a well-known family in Ypres, living in Ghent and Antwerp before going into exile in the northern Netherlands.[4] Henrick's eldest son, Christiaen, founded the noble family Thibaut van Aegtekerke.[5]

Thibault first studied fencing in Antwerp under Lambert van Someron, who taught between the years of 1564 and 1584.[6] In 1605, Thibault was a wool merchant in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, south of Seville on the Guadalquivir river, and the hometown of Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza.[2] There, he took an interest in fencing, studying the Spanish rapier system of Destreza.[2]

Thibault left Spain to return to the Netherlands, and was in Amsterdam as early as 1610.[2] In or around 1611, he presented his system to an assembly of Dutch masters at a competition in Rotterdam.[7] Thibault won first prize, earning an invitation to the court of Prince Maurice of Nassau, where the Prince observed Thibault's system in a multi-day demonstration.[6]

Although initially met with skepticism, Thibault convinced his fellow Dutch fencing masters, including Johannes Damius of Haarlem, Dirck van Stervergen of Leiden, Cornelis Cornelisz van Heusden of Amsterdam, and Thibault's former teacher Lambert von Someron.[6]

In 1615, Thibault was invited to the court at Cleves and left Amsterdam, where he once again demonstrated his system successfully.[8] Over the next several years, Thibault traveled from Cleves, Amsterdam, to Spain, back to Amsterdam, and finally to Leiden in 1622.[9] There, Thibault studied mathematics at Leiden University.[10] It is unclear whether Thibault taught his system at the university.[10] It is during his time in Leiden that Thibault likely began working on Academie de l'Espée and employed a team of sixteen master engravers.[11]

Thibault died in 1627, years before his masterpiece was finally published (despite the date on the title page of 1626, later manually amended to 1628 in many copies, printing didn't finish until at least 1630).[12]

Treatise

The Academie de l'Espée (1630) is presented in two books. Book 1 consists of a short introduction, populated with the coats of arms of several nobles who apparently sponsored the publication, and then introduces training in the use of his system of swordplay.

Book 2 lacks an explanation of the complex frontispiece, and was incomplete at the time of his death, but what he does have shows how to use his style against other weapons then in use, including shields, two-handed swords, and firearms.

Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

References

  1. ↑ Fontaine 1978, pp. 288, 297. Fontaine gives the date of death as '29, but it must have occurred by '27 since a copyright privilege was granted to his heirs that year.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fontaine 1978, p. 289.
  3. ↑ Fontaine 1978, p. 297.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Fontaine 1978, p. 288.
  5. ↑ Fontaine 1978, pp. 288-289.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Fontaine 1978, p. 290.
  7. ↑ Fontaine 1978, pp. 289-290.
  8. ↑ Fontaine 1978, p. 294.
  9. ↑ Fontaine 1978, pp. 294-296.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Fontaine 1978, p. 296.
  11. ↑ Fontaine 1978, pp. 296, 310.
  12. ↑ Greer 2006, pp 1-2.


Early Iberian traditions
Esgrima común M 1-3-3 176r (detail).png
Verdadera
destreza
Carrancista
Pachequista
Indeterminate
Others
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