Geneva, Bibliothèque de Genève, FR178, fol. 143v, 1353 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 195):

Parchment. 290x213, 190 fols, two columns at 39 lines, written in Paris in 1353. Beginning of the second folio: Lors pris l'aguille a enfiler. It contains the Roman de la rose fols 1-160v and the Testament on fols 161r-190v.

Scene depicted

Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence

Miniature description

Size:

290x213mm

Column miniature

Height: 12 lines

Materials:

Parchment

Gold leaf, red, blue, grey, white, black, pink

Initials:

Foliate red initial "D." Foliates are gold, red, and blue, with gold foliate extenders springing upwards and downwards on the left side.

Rubric:

Directly above miniature: "Ci commence genius son sermon"

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame with cornerpieces, over a broader interior red frame with a white zigzag pattern decorating the right and left sides and a wavy pattern with decorative details on the top and bottom. There is a further inner frame with a quatrefoil border in red, white, and blue, with gold leaf fillings between the borders. Gold leaf foliate extenders and "sperm" are located on the left and right sides of the frame.

Background:

Red, blue, and white diaper pattern (checkerboard pattern in gold leaf)

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Genius gives his definitive sentence

Place of Production of the Miniature:

France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1353

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures and composition:

BNCFCLAD, 153, 232v

BWAM, W. 143, fol 128r

BSG, Ms. 1126, fol 140r

PML, MS. 324, fol. 129r

BFMUM, H245, fol. 119r

LBL, MS YT21, fol. 127r

PML, MS. 132, fol. 138v

BNF, MS fr. 12595, fol. 140r

Secondary sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva : Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 195.

Detailed description

Allegories:

Genius is on the left.

Five barons are on the right; only three are visible.

Clothing and other features:

1. Genius

Long white alb, with a red strip along the bottom
Black poulaines
Black hood

2. Baron #1 (left)

Long pink robe
Matching hood
Curly blonde hair

3. Baron #2 (middle)

Long blue robe
Red hood
Curly blonde hair

4. Baron #3 (right)

Long pink robe
Curly blonde hair

Gestures:

Genius is reaching out to the barons, his right hand extended. His left hand is pointing up, indicating a gesture of speech.

Objects:

Genius is standing on a grey pulpit. Hanging on the front of the pulpit is a piece of fabric with pink, red, and grey horizontal bands.

Ex-libris

Beneath the last explicit, some lines in a more modern hand have been erased.
Puis que de vous et A.S.A. qui Fortune a.
The Bibliothèque de Genève received this manuscript in 1742 from Am. Lullin who had bought it from the heirs of A. Petau.