Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms fr. 12595, fol. 121r, 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

Nature's confession to Genius

Miniature description

Size:

325x231mm

Column miniature

Height: 10 lines

Materials and colours:

Parchment

Purple, red, pink, blue, brown, gold

Initials:

Directly below rubric, blue pen-flourished initial "C"

Rubric:

Directly below miniature, two lines: "Nature qui se confesse a genyus son prestre"

Frame:

Simple double frame with gold leaf exterior border and thin blue inner border. Gold leaf foliate extenders appear on the left and right side of the frame with three gold leaf "sperms" on either side between the foliates.

Background:

Blue and gold leaf diaper pattern (diamond pattern).

Landscape:

Grass beneath Lady Nature, the priest, and the chair

Placement of miniature:

Directly after Nature's confession.

Place of Production of the Miniature:

France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1400-1500

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures:

Genius and Nature are in the same positions, with same corresponding gestures: ISMUM, H245, fol. 102v.

Secondary Sources:

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

Detailed description

Allegories:

Lady Nature is on the left, towards the back.

Genius (priest) is on the right, in front of Lady Nature.

Clothing:

1. Lady Nature

Long pink robe, probably a cotehardie
Elaborate hairdo held with a fillet

2. Genius

Long white alb with red trim on the collar, sleeves, and hem
Grey socks
Black poulaines
Black hood

Gestures:

Lady Nature is kneeling and is looking up at Genius in a submissive manner.

Genius is sitting down on a high back wooden chair, his right arm perched on the armrest; his right hand is underneath his right cheek. His left hand is resting on his left knee. He is looking straight down. His demeanour suggests that he is listening to Nature's confession.

Objects:

Genius is sitting on a high back wooden chair that has two overextending poles decorated with what appear to be animal heads. The chair has high armrests; on the right, there is what seems to be a kneeler, in the style of an interior confessional booth. The chair might be a cathedra, the bishop's symbol of power and authority.

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.