Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms fr. 12595, fol. 69v, XVth century | MARGOT

Detailed Manuscript Information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 48-49):

Parchment, measure: 325x231mm, 200 fols numbered by a rubricator, at two columns, 37 lines. Beginning of second folio: D'un aiguillier mignot et gent. Binding with Napoleon's coat of arms. The Roman appears on fols 1-157r, followed by the Testament on fols 158r-167v. Fol. 168 is left blank followed by the Sept articles de la foi on fols 169r-200r and the Codicille on fol. 200r-v.

Scene depicted

Jealous husband beats his wife.

Miniature description

Size:

Column picture.

Height: 12 lines

Material and colors:

Parchment

Blue, green, red, black, gold leaf

Initial:

Pen-flourished initial “L” (2 lines). Located below the miniature. Initial is blue with red ink background detail.

Rubric:

Rubric above image on right side indicates who is narrating the story : “amis parle”

Frame:

Gilded outer frame with foliate extenders from right and left side of frame. Blue and white inner border.

Background:

Diaper pattern background. Vertical grid is composed of 3 thin gilded lines over red background with gilt fleur de lys detail.

Place of production of miniature:

France

Date of production of miniature:

15th century

Detailed description

Allegories :

Wife on the left

Jealous husband on the right

Clothing :

1. Wife:

Blue floor-length gown gironnee

2. Jealous husband

Wearing blue chaperon over head
Blue kirtle
Blue hose
Baldrick with gipser and sword attached
Red knee-length courtepy
Black pouleines

Gestures:

*Jealous husbands face seems to be scratched out. His face is also scratched out in WAM, Ms. W. 143 fol. 62v and OBL, San. sup. 57, fol. 64r. Husband's right hand, holding a club, is raised over his head and ready to strike his wife. His left hand is grasping her hair. The wife is doubled over. Both arms are extended forward with hands in a pleading gesture.

Objects:

Sword

Club

“This weapon […] semiotically connects the husband with the allegorical figure of Dangier, who is usually depicted wielding a club at Amant” (Desmond, Marilynn.Ovid’s Art and the Wife of Bath. The Ethics of Erotic Violence. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2006: p. 95) (See fol. 23v)

Landscape:

Grass ground line

Flowers in foreground

Ex-libris

On last flyleaf: Ce livre est au duc de Berry. Jehan.
Following the Roman, several ex-libris have been erased and are illegible.