Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Ms. 1126, fol. 139r, 1350-1360 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 85):

Parchment, measure: 302x217mm, 155 fols, two columns at 38 lines. Beginning of second folio: Lors de ville ou talant d'aler. The manuscript contains the Roman de la rose. At the end, the following lines have been added:

Explicit le Romans de la Rose,
Ou l'Art d'Amours est toute enclose.
Nature rit, si com moy semble,
Quant hic et hec joingnent ensemble.

*Miniature is severely damaged. The figure of Lady Nature has been scraped off. Genius' face has also sustained damage.

Scene depicted

Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence

Miniature description

Size:

302x217mm

Column miniature

Height: 10 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Gold leaf, red, blue, orange, pink

Initials:

Below the miniature a foliate initial over a gold background with foliate extenders springing upwards and downwards framing the miniature and the text.

Rubric:

Directly above miniature, "Vesci comment genius escript / Ce que nature li nomme"

Lady Nature

Genius

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame, with cornerpieces and a interior red frame with a white wavy pattern. Gold leaf foliate extenders are located on the right side of the frame.

Background:

Blue, red, and white diaper pattern (checkerboard surmounted by a diamond pattern)

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Nature's confession

Place of Production of the Miniature:

Paris, France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1350-1360

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures:

PML, MS. 324 fol. 128v

BISMUM, H245, fol. 118v

BSG, MS. 1126, fol.139r2

LBG, MS. FR178, fol. 143r

Secondary sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 85.

Detailed description

Allegories:

Lady Nature is on the left.

Genius (Bishop) is on the right.

Clothing:

1. Lady Nature

Orange robe with belt

2. Genius (dressed as a bishop)

Blue alb
Pink cape clasped at the centre with a diamond shaped morse
Undecorated mitre

Gestures:

Lady Nature appears to be kneeling in front of Genius.

Genius is sitting; he is writing his sentence on a piece of parchment. His head is bent down.

Objects:

Genius is holding a piece of parchment and a stylus.

Genius is sitting on an orange bench, symbolic of a cathedra, the seat of power of a bishop