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Gérard Thibault d'Anvers
| Gérard Thibault d'Anvers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1574 |
| Died | 1629 |
| Occupation | Fencing master |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Movement | La Verdadera Destreza |
| Influences | |
| Genres | Fencing manual |
| Language | French |
| Notable work(s) | Academie de l'Espée (1630) |
Gérard Thibault d'Anvers (ca. 1574–1629)[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," Gérard 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 swordsmanship 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 swordsmanship, 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 1629, a year before his masterpiece was finally published (despite the date on the title page of 1628, it was not published until 1630).[12]
Contents
Treatise
Additional Resources
- Thibault, Gérard. Academy of the Sword. Trans. John Michael Greer. Highland Park, TX: Chivalry Bookshelf, 2006. ISBN 978-1891448409
References
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.288, 297
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.289
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.297
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.288
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.288-289
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.290
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.289-290
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.294
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.294-296
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) p.296
- ↑ de la Verwey, Herman Fontaine. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'Espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp.296, 310
- ↑ Thibault, Gérard. Academy of the Sword. Trans. John Michael Greer. Highland Park, TX: The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2006. pp 1-2.
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