Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex 2592, fol. 87v, 1350-1400 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Alfred Kuhn, "Die Illustration des Rosenromans" Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses. 31.1 (1912): 1-66.

Parchment, measure: 300x212, two columns at 40 lines. Beginning of second folio: Mon vis refraichi et lave. The manuscript contains the Roman de la rose on fols 1-147, and Jean de Meun's Testament on fols 148r-175v.

Scene depicted

The Duenna offers a gold chaplet to Fair Welcoming, who is in the tower.

Miniature description

Size:

300x212mm

Column miniature

Height: 10 lines

Material and colors:

Parchment

Gold leaf, blue, red, purple, white, brown, black, grey, green

Initial:

Blue foliate initial "B" over a gold leaf background, with red, blue, and gold leaf foliate extenders that go upwards and downwards, completely framing the text and the miniature.

Rubric:

Three lines above miniature read: "Comment la vieille qui garde belacueil / li aporte le chapel que l'amant li envoye / par le conseil de faussemblant."

One line below text reads: "L'aucteur parle."

Frame:

Simple gold leaf exterior frame with a red and white inner frame. Foliate extenders and "sperm" appear on the right side of the frame.

Background:

The tower is set on grey ground. Background is blue with a gold leaf diaper pattern in a checkerboard motif, with each square of the grid containing star motifs.

Place of production of miniature:

France

Date of production of miniature:

1300-1350

Similarities with other images of the corpus:

A tower is also represented in the following examples: PML. Ms.132, fol. 91v; BMC. Ms.0270, fol. 90v; BNCF. Codice Laurenziano Acquisti e Doni 153, fol. 150v; PML. Ms. 132, fol. 95r.

Secondary Sources:

Kuhn, Alfred. "Die Illustration des Rosenromans." Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen des allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses. 31.1 (1912): 1-66.

Detailed description

Allegories:

The Duenna is on the left.

Fair Welcoming is on the right.

Clothing and other features:

1. Duenna

Blue robe with tight fitting sleeves, probably tied at the waist with a girdle
White wimple falling to the shoulders
Golden floral chaplet

2. Fair Welcoming

Brown hair
Pink cotehardie
Red hood falling over the shoulders

Architecture:

Grey tower with a bartizan on the left, with a red conical turret. The tower has an arched opening with crenellations on the top and bottom.

Gestures:

The Duenna offers Fair Welcoming a gold chaplet. Fair Welcoming is in the tower. His right finger is raised in speech, and his left hand is resting on his chest.

Ex-libris

In 1720, the purchase of this manuscript was ordered by Karl VI.
In the Geschichte der kfönigkaiserlichen Hofbibliothek, Fr. Edler von Mosel states that an entire collection of 251 manuscripts was acquired in addition to 6731 printed works plus 56 printed works with handwritten commentary. The Roman de la rose is described as follows: Le Roman de la rose, avec le codicile de maistre Jehan de Meun. Ein Manuskript aus dem vierzehnten Jahrhundert auf Velin in Fol., mit goldenen Initialen und einer Menge eben so schön ausgeführter als wohlerhaltener Miniaturen. In rohtem Maroquin mit Goldschnitt. (Vienna, 1835, 103).