Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex 2592, fol. 131r, 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

Husband and wife in bed (reference to part of Nature's confession in Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence)

Miniature description

Size:

300x212mm

Column picture

Height: 14 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Gold leaf, red, white, pink, grey, purple, light yellow

Initials:

Red foliate initial "L" over a gold leaf background. Foliate extenders spring upwards and downwards from the initial, framing the miniature and the text.

Rubric:

1.14 lines above miniature

"Nature"

2. 11 lines above miniature

"Genius"

3. Directly below miniature

"L'amant parle"

Frame:

Simple exterior gold leaf frame with small corner pieces and simple red inner frame. Foliate extenders come out from the right side of the frame. Next to the extenders there are gold leaf "sperms."

Background:

The background is a blue, gold leaf, and white diaper pattern (checkerboard and lozenges).

Placement of miniature:

Directly after Genius's dialogue

Place of Production of the Miniature:

France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1350-1400

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Composition: Similar to BNCF, Cod. Laurenziano Acquisti e Doni 153, fol. 196v.

Secondary Sources:

Kuhn, Alfred. "Die Illustration des Rosenromans." Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses 31, n. 1 (1912): 1-66.

Detailed description

Allegories:

1. Husband is on top.

2. Wife is on bottom.

Clothing:

None. Figures are naked.

Gestures:

The husband and wife are looking into each other's eyes and kissing.

Objects:

The husband and wife are wrapped in a large sheet that has horizontal blue, pink, and black stripes. Underneath them are white sheets and white and red pillows. Behind their heads is a large brown wooden headboard that extends to the top of the miniature.

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).