The Fitzwilliam Museum, ms. 169, fol. 48v, 1301-1400

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Folio 48v _{(According to Ernest Langlois the date is either the very end of the XIVth or the beginning of the XVth century)}

Detailed manuscript information (based on The Fitzwilliam Museum and Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 150-151):

Parchment, measure: 329x233mm, 137 folios, two rubrics at 39 lines. Beginning of the second folio: De mon lit tantost me levay.

Scene depicted

False Seeming addresses the God of Love and his army from a pulpit.

Miniature description

Size:

329x233mm

Column miniature

Height: Approx. 11 lines

Material and colors:

Parchment

Gold leaf, blue, red, white, brown, green, black, grey

Initial:

Undecorated blue initial "S" above and undecorated red initial “B” below the miniature.

Rubric:

Ten lines above miniature reads: “Faussamblant parle.”

Five lines above miniature reads: “l'aucteur parle.”

Two lines above miniature reads: “Coment faussamblant preesche Davent le dieu d'amors et ses gens.”

Frame:

Miniature: Simple gold leaf exterior frame with red inner borders.

Background:

Background shows rudimentary atmospheric perspective. The scene takes place in a garden. The sky is blue, with white wavy lines indicating clouds or wind. There are several tropical trees (palm trees) as well as green grass.

Place of production of miniature:

France

Date of production of miniature:

1301-1400

Similarities with other images of the corpus:

The allegorie's position is similar in the following manuscripts : PML. Ms. 132, fol. 78r; BNF. Ms. fr. 380, fol. 73r; JPG. Ms.Lud XV 7, fol. 70r.

Other Allegories: JPG. Ms.Lud XV 7, fol. 70r.

Secondary Sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, pp. 150-151.

Detailed description

Allegories:

God of Love and his army are on the right.

False Seeming is on the left.

Clothing and other features:

1. False Seeming

Brown monk’s habit with cowl
White alb with tight-fitting sleeves

2. Army member #1-Man seated at God of Love's feet

Red robe
Black girdle
White beard
Yellow chaperon

3. God of Love

White houppeland with high collar trimmed in gold
Light pink wings
Gold eschapins
Blonde hair
Gold leaf crown

4. Army member # 2-Woman

Red cotehardie with tight-fitting sleeves
Blonde curly hair
Blue reticulated headdress

5. Army member #3-Man

Blue houppeland

6. Army member #4-Man

Green houppeland with high collar and pink girdle

Brown curly hair

7. Army member #5-Man

Red chaperon
Pink houppeland with red girdle
Blonde hair

Gestures:

False Seeming addresses the God of Love and his army from a pulpit. His right hand is raised, finger pointing, indicating a gesture of speech; his left hand is raised, palm facing upwards. The God of Love is listening, arms crossed over his chest. His army is behind him. The only two figures of the army of the God of Love who do not seem to be listening are the woman in red and the man in blue beside her, who is holding onto her arm.

The Fitzwilliam Museum, ms. 169, fol. 48v, 1301-1400

Miniature description

Detailed description

MARGOT