Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Ms. 1126, fol. 117v, 1350-1360 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 85):

Parchment, measure: 302x217mm, 155 fols, two columns at 38 lines. Beginning of second folio: Lors de ville ou talant d'aler. The manuscript contains the Roman de la rose. At the end, the following lines have been added:

Explicit le Romans de la Rose,
Ou l'Art d'Amours est toute enclose.
Nature rit, si com moy semble,
Quant hic et hec joingnent ensemble.

Scene depicted

Nature's confession to Genius

Miniature description

Size:

302x217mm

Column miniature

Height: 8 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Gold leaf, blue, orange, red, brown

Initials:

Foliate initial "G" located below the miniature. Letter is red with gold leaf background and blue border. Also has small leaves in the middle, two in red, one in gold leaf.

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame with gold leaf corner pieces. The interior frame is red on the left and right, and blue on the top and bottom. All four sides have a white wavy pattern. Two gold leaf foliate extenders spring forth from the top. The text is framed by a blue and gold leaf border with foliate extenders.

Background:

Red, blue, and gold leaf diaper pattern (checkerboard pattern surmounted by a diamond pattern).

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Nature's confession

Place of Production of the Miniature:

Paris, France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1350-1360

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

This is a very unique interpretation of the scene.

Secondary sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 85.

Detailed description

Allegories:

Lady Nature is on the left.

Genius (monk) is on the right.

Clothing and other features:

1. Lady Nature:

Red mantle with dark blue robe
Blue hood in the shape of a Phrygian cap

2. Genius

Dark blue monk's habit
Long white kirtle
Curly blonde tonsured hair

Gestures:

Lady Nature is kneeling, her hands together in the act of prayer and placed on a confession stand. She is looking up directly at Genius' eyes. He is looking back at her, his left hand on his heart and his right hand pointing to the right.

Objects:

Confession stand with cloth overtop. Cloth is blue and orange with a double diamond pattern.

Large pink and red tabernacle on the far right. The tabernacle opens to reveal a trefoil lancet window, flanked by two towers that overlap the frame. Representative of a cathedral. Inside the tabernacle there is a gold leaf chalice on top of a white piece of fabric.