Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms fr. 12595, fol. 140rb, XVth century

Size:

325x231mm

Column miniature

Height: 12 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Gold leaf, red, green, pink, blue, brown, white

Rubric:

Directly below miniature: "Le sermon Genius"

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame with white inner frame. Gold leaf foliate extenders are on the left, bottom, and right sides. Small "sperm" float around the frame between the foliate extenders.

Background:

Red, blue, and white diaper pattern (checkerboard and lozenges)

Landscape:

Strip of green grass underneath Genius and the barons

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Genius gives his definitive sentence

Place of Production of the Miniature:

Paris, France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1400-1500

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures and composition:

• BNCFCLAD, 153, 232v

• BWAM, W. 143, fol 128r

• BSG, Ms. 1126, fol 140r

• BG, FR178, fol. 143v

• PML, MS. 324, fol. 129r

• BFMUM, H245, fol. 119r

• LBL, MS YT21, fol. 127r

• PML, MS. 132, fol. 138v

Secondary sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 48-49.

Allegories:

Five barons, the God of Love, and Lady Venus are on the left.

Genius is on the right.

Clothing:

1. Baron #1 (bottom left)

• Highneck blue houppeland with red trim

• Pink chaperon

2. Baron #2 (bottom right)

• Highneck red houppeland with white trim

• Brown bonnet

• Brown hair

3. Baron #3 (middle left)

• Probably a brown houppeland like the other barons

• Blue chaperon

4. Baron #4 (centre)

• Green houppeland

• Green chaperon

5. Baron #5 (middle right)

• Highneck green houppeland with brown trim

• Blue chaperon

6. God of Love (top left)

• Highneck red houppeland

• Gold crown

• Red and pink wings

• *Extensive damage to the face

7. Lady Venus (top right)

• Pink cotehardie

• Gold crown

• Blonde hair

8. Genius (dressed as a bishop)

• Green habit with golden trim, clasped with a white morse

• White and gold mitre

Gestures:

The barons are looking directly at Genius, except the baron on the bottom right, who seems to be speaking to the baron on his left. The God of Love and Lady Venus are also looking at Genius, listening.

Genius is reading the definitive sentence from a parchment that he is holding with both hands.

Objects:

Genius is standing on a large brown podium. He is holding a piece of parchment in his hands. A gold crozier rests on his shoulders.