Philip the Good (, ; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was
Duke of Burgundy as
Philip III from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a
cadet line of the
Valois dynasty (the then Royal family of France). During his reign Burgundy reached the apex of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts. Philip is known in history for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists such as
Jan van Eyck, of
Franco-Flemish composers such as
Gilles Binchois, and the capture of
Joan of Arc. During his reign he alternated between English and French alliances in an attempt to improve his dynasty's position. Moreover, as ruler of Flanders, Brabant, Limburg, Artois, Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland, Friesland and Namur, he played an important role in the history of the Low Countries.