Vienna, Östereichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex 2592, fol. 75v, 1350-1400 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Alfred Kuhn, "Die Illustration des Rosenromans" Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses. 31.1 (1912): 1-66.

Parchment, measure: 300x212, two columns at 40 lines. Beginning of second folio: Mon vis refraichi et lave. The manuscript contains the Roman de la rose on fols 1-147, and Jean de Meun's Testament on fols 148r-175v.

Scene depicted

False Seeming kneels before the God of Love, waiting to be crowned.

Miniature description

Size:

300x212mm

Column miniature

Height: Approx. 9 lines

Material and colors:

Parchment

Gold leaf, blue, red, white, brown, black, grey, purple, and pink

Initial:

Foliate initial “F” in white and blue on a gold leaf background. Gold leaf border, extending upwards beside the miniature frame and downwards in blue, white and gold leaf with a foliate termination.

Rubric:

Placed above miniature, four lines that read: "Or ces comment va parlant. / Li dieu d'amours a faux semblant. / Et pource qu'il traistie faux. / Le fait amours roy des ribaux."

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame with gold leaf corner pieces. Interior frame is red and white. On the left side of the frame there are gold leaf foliate extenders. Gold leaf “sperms” are found beside the right side of the frame.

Background:

Background is a diaper pattern in blue and gold (checkerboard pattern with blue and white lonzeges).

Place of production of miniature:

France

Date of production of miniature:

1350-1400

Similarities with other images of the corpus:

The act of crowning can be seen in the following manuscripts: BGE, Ms. Fr. 178, fol. 82r; BimUM, Ms. H245, fol. 69v.

The position of the allegories is similar in the following manuscripts: BGE, Ms. Fr. 178, fol. 82r; BimUM, Ms. H245, fol. 69v; BSG, Ms. 1126, fol. 77r.

Secondary Sources:

Alfred Kuhn, "Die Illustration des Rosenromans." Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses 31.1 (1912): 1-66.

Detailed description

Allegories:

False Seeming is on the right.

God of Love is on the left.

Clothing and other features:

1. God of Love

Light blue robe
Pink mantle with red interior, worn over shoulders
Red wings
Gold leaf crown
Blonde wavy hair

2. False Seeming

Black monk’s habit with cowl
White alb
Gold leaf crown about to be placed upon his head
Tonsured head (blonde tonsure and blonde beard)

*A degree of deterioration on the face and hands

Gestures:

False Seeming kneels in front of the God of Love, his hands raised together as if in prayer. The God of Love holds a crown in his right hand; his left hand is raised.

Ex-libris

In 1720, the purchase of this manuscript was ordered by Karl VI.
In the Geschichte der kfönigkaiserlichen Hofbibliothek, Fr. Edler von Mosel states that an entire collection of 251 manuscripts was acquired in addition to 6731 printed works plus 56 printed works with handwritten commentary. The Roman de la rose is described as follows: Le Roman de la rose, avec le codicile de maistre Jehan de Meun. Ein Manuskript aus dem vierzehnten Jahrhundert auf Velin in Fol., mit goldenen Initialen und einer Menge eben so schön ausgeführter als wohlerhaltener Miniaturen. In rohtem Maroquin mit Goldschnitt. (Vienna, 1835, 103).