J. Paul Getty Museum, MS. Ludwig XV 7, fol. 81v, 1405 | MARGOT

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Detailed manuscript information (based on Roman de la Rose: digital surrogates of medieval manuscripts and Anton von Euw and Joachim M. Plotzek, Die Handschriften der Sammlung Ludwig, Cologne: Schnügen-Museum, 1979-85, vol. 4:228-239.)

Parchment, measure: 372x258mm, 138 folios, two columns, 44 lines.

Scene depicted

The Duenna offers a flower chaplet to Fair Welcoming.

Miniature description

Size:

372x258mm

Column miniature

Height: 15 lines

Material and colors:

Parchment

Gold leaf, blue, brown, black, grey

Initial:

Blue foliate initial "B" with white decorative details. Red and blue foliates are encased in a gold leaf background inside the initial. Foliate extenders spring upwards and downwards from the initial, partially framing the miniature and the text.

Frame:

Miniature: Simple gold leaf exterior frame with interior blue and white frame on the left and upper sides, and a red and white frame on the right and lower sides.

Background:

Background shows rudimentary perspective, with a blue sky and brown earth.

Place of production of miniature:

Paris, France

Date of production of miniature:

1405

Similarities with other images of the corpus:

Images with other allegories can be found in the following manuscripts: BMC. Ms.0270, fol. 90v.

Secondary Sources:

Euw, Anton von and Joachim M. Plotzek. Die Handschriften der Sammlung Ludwig. Cologne: Schnügen-Museum, 1979-85, vol. 4: 228-239.

Detailed description

Allegories:

The Duenna is on the left.

Fair Welcoming is represented twice: in the centre and on the right.

Clothing and other features:

*Semi-grisaille clothing

1. Duenna

Cotehardie with tight fitting sleeves
Elaborate headdress
Flower chaplet

2. Fair Welcoming (centre)

Houppeland with high neck
Black and white belt
Blonde hair

3. Fair Welcoming (right)

Houppeland with high neck
Blonde hair
Chaplet on head
Holding a mirror

Gestures:

The Duenna is holding a chaplet in both hands and offers it to Fair Welcoming. He appears sad. In the centre, Fair Welcoming accepts the chaplet with his right hand; his left palm is facing upwards. He is looking at the chaplet. On the right, Fair Welcoming's left hand reaches up to the chaplet on his head. In his right hand, he is holding a mirror, which he is using to look at himself while placing the chaplet on his head.

Ex-libris

On the recto of the first flyleaf: The owner is probably Jean du Rueil (1474-1537) according to an erased entry, read as J Duryeil.
On the verso of the same leaf: A medieval entry reading (La) mauie and F. Lorris (?).
Louis-Jean Gaignat (1697-1768).
Charles-Adrien Picard. Philippe l'Ain, Marseille (glued on the recto of the 2nd overleaf, the text from the auction catalog of his manuscripts).
Possible owners of the manuscript: Claude-Joseph Clos (1812); Probably Count MacCarthy-Reagh (1744-1811); William Beckford, Fonthill (1759-1844), bought Oct. 1814 from Auguste Chardin, Paris; in Beckford's inventory of the year 1844, it carried the no. 36; Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852); he inherited the manuscripts of his father-in-law, William Beckford (on the recto of the 1st overleaf in pencil HB no. 427); Berlin, Graphiksammlung of the Königlich-Preußisches Museum. Albert de Naurois (his ex libris with the motto "Tantum prodest quantum prosunt" in the inner front cover); Edouard Rahir, Paris (1862-1924); Adolphe Bordes; Jacques Guérin.

The manuscript belongs to the most beautiful of the approximately three hundred extant Roman de la Rose manuscripts. Furthermore it is, with its 101 column-wide miniature paintings, one of the most richly decorated copies of the text that was so popular from its emergence into the 16th century.