Collection ID: 0031 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Roman de la Rose

Authors

• Guillaume, de Lorris, active 1230 (http://viaf.org/viaf/100181659)
• Jean de Meung 1250-1305 (http://viaf.org/viaf/100228055)

Other related names

• Workshop of François, maître, active 1468-1482, artist (https://viaf.org/viaf/57406287/)
• Courtanvaux, François-César Le Tellier, marquis de, 1718-1781, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/9893584)
• Heiss, Joseph-Louis baron d', former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/170712775)
• Paignon-Dijonval, 1708-1792, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/173752517)
• Morel de Vindé, Charles Gilbert Terray, vicomte, 1759-1842, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/44393665)
• Perkins, Henry, 1776?-1855, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/14267654)
• Perkins, Algernon, -1872, former owner
• Walker, Thomas Shadford, 1834-1885, former owner
• Bordes, Henri, 1842-1911, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/61339587)
• Hoe, Robert, 1839-1909, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/17337420)
• Bishop, Cortlandt F. (Cortlandt Field), 1870-1935, former owner (http://viaf.org/viaf/4920254)
• Collins, Philip S., 1864-1943, former owner

Funders

• Council on Library and Information Resources

Call number

1945‑65‑3
(Philadelphia, United States, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, Philip S. Collins Collection)

Alternate identifiers

• deRicci: 18

Publisher

Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs

Language

Middle French (ca. 1400-1600); Latin

Origin

Place

Paris, France

Summary

This lavish manuscript copy of the Roman de la Rose features a remarkably dense iconographic cycle, containing seventy-five ornate miniatures. It was illuminated in the second half of the fifteenth century in the workshop of Maitre Francois, and the miniatures are the work of at least two artists. The program of illustrations favors the text of Guillaume de Lorris, which has forty-four illustrations versus thirty-one for the much longer text of Jean de Meun, both with an emphasis on portraiture. The text of the Roman de Ia Rose, written in Old French, is originally the work of two authors. It was begun by Guillaume de Lorris circa 1225-30 and comprises around three thousand lines. Jean de Meun, (also spelled Meung and Mehun; died 1305), a well-known scholar and translator, added an additional saga to the original poem comprised of around seventeen thousand lines sometime before 1278. The text of the Roman de la Rose in the manuscript in the Philadelphia Museum of Art also incorporates later additions and moralizing revisions made in several stages by Gui de Mori, a Picard cleric, as well as over two-hundred marginal inscriptions and commentaries on the Rose text made by a single, anonymous sixteenth-century hand. In addition to both parts of the Rose, the manuscript also contains other works attributed to, or thought to have been, the work of Jean de Meun, including the Testament of Jean de Meun (fols. 151-177v), a poem once attributed to him, provisionally entitled "Le Songe" (The Dream, fols. 178r-179v), followed by a text entitled, "Les Sept Articles de la Foi de Jean Chapuis (The Seven Articles of Faith of Jean Chapuis)" (fols. 180r-193r), ending with the "Codicille" of Jean de Meun (fols. 193r-200v), his "petit Codicille" (fols. 200v-201v), and "Miserere Defunctorum" (fols. 201v-202v).

Notes

• Outer flyleaves modern parchment, inner flyleaves paper
   
• Middle French, with one poem in Latin (fols. 201v-202v)
   

Extent

Ii+202+ii; 340 x 230 mm bound to 355 x 250 mm

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto

Collation

1-18 (8), 19 (6), 20-25 (8), 26 (4)

Support

Parchment

Catchwords

Horizontal catchwords in ink, lower right last verso, several mostly trimmed away

Binding

French velvet, circa 1900; gilded monograms, ornamental clasps and corner pieces on both covers, silver plaque engraved with title on upper cover

Layout

Two columns of forty lines each with a narrow column at the left edge for initials at the beginning of lines (fols. 1r-150r), one column of forty lines (fols. 151r-202v); frame-ruled in faint red ink; written area: 230 x 160 mm (fols. 1r-150r), 225 x 155 mm (fols. 151r-202v)

Decoration

Two double-column miniatures with four-sided foliate marginal borders, in colors and gold (fols. 1r, 151r); one historiated initial M (fol. 1r), and seventy-four single-column miniatures (twenty-two with arched tops) on folios with partial foliate marginal borders, in colors and gold (fols. 2r [x2], 2v [x2], 3r [x2], 3v, 4r, 4v, 5r, 6r, 7r, 9r, 9v, 10r, 10v, 11r [x2], 12r, 12v, 13v, 14r, 15v, 16r, 16v, 17r, 21v, 22v, 23r, 23v, 24v [x2], 25v, 26r, 26v, 27r, 27v, 28r [x2], 28v, 29r, 30r, 30v, 32r, 33v, 38r, 43v, 47r, 47v, 49r, 49v, 50v, 54v, 62v, 63v, 72v, 73v, 74v, 75v, 76r, 79r, 79v, 87r, 89v, 91r, 92v, 95r, 105r, 107v, 108v, 117v, 135r, 143r, 143v); large (three- to five-line) and small (two-line) decorated initials, in pink, blue, and gold throughout; initial at the beginning of each line touched with yellow

Script

Bâtarde

Provenance

• François César Le Tellier, marquis de Courtanvaux (1718-1781), late 18th century (armorial book stamp on first and last pages); sale, Paris, July 7, 1783, lot 1258; Joseph-Louis, baron d'Heiss; sale, De Bure fils aîné, Paris, March 8, 1785, lot 223; M. and Mme. Paignon-Dijonval, Paris; Charles Gilbert Terray, vicomte Morel-Vindé (1759-1842), Paris; sale, De Bure frères, Paris, March 17, 1823, lot 1379; Henry Perkins (1788-1855), Springfield, Surrey, England, ca. 1825; Algernon Perkins (d. 1872); sale, Gadsden, Ellis and Co. (London booksellers), Hanworth Park, Catalogue of the…Library Formed by the late Henry Perkins, Esq., June 3-6, 1873, lot 637, illus.; Thomas Shadford Walker (1834-1885), Liverpool; sale, Sotheby's, London, June 23-24, 1886, lot 277; Bernard Quaritch (bookseller), London, cat. 369, 1886, no. 35727; cat. 103, 1890, no. 362; cat. 138, 1893, no. 104; Henri Bordes, Bourdeaux (bookplate); sale, Paris, June 10, 1899, lot 6; Robert Hoe (1839-1909), New York; sale, Anderson Auction Company, New York, January 8, 1912, II, lot 2491, illus.; James F. Drake (bookseller), New York; Cortlandt Field Bishop, New York (bookplate); his sale, American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, April 25-27, 1938, II, lot 1364, illus.; Philip S. Collins, Philadelphia (bookplate); given by his wife, Mary Schell Collins, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1945 in memory of her husband
   

Related resources

• Paul Meyer, "Chronique," Romania, vol. 23 (1894), p. 300 (a report on Quaritch catalogue 138, 1893)
• O. A. Bierstadt, The Library of Robert Hoe: A Contribution to the History of Bibliophilism in America (New York: Duprat and Company, 1895), pp. 9-43, illus.
• [Carolyn Shipman], A Catalogue of Manuscripts Forming a Portion of the Library of Robert Hoe (New York, 1909), pp. 127-29; Ernest Langlois, ed., Le Roman de Ia Rose par Guillaume de Lorris et Jean do Meun, publié d'apris les manuscrits (Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1914), vol. 1, p. 50, note 1 (citing the Robert Hoe sale catalogue of 1912)
• De Ricci, Seymour, with the assistance of W. J. Wilson, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, vol. 2 (New York: H. W. Wilson, 1935-40), p. 1658, no. 18.
• Richard L. Hoffman, Ovid and the Canterbury Tales (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1966), pp. 73-74
• Maxwell Luria, A Reader's Guide to the "Roman de Ia Rose" (Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, 1982). pp. 207-17
• Maxwell Luria, "A Sixteenth-Century Gloss on the Roman de Ia Rose," Mediaeval Studies, vol. 4 (1982), pp. 333-70
• David Anderson, ed., Catalogue of the Exhibition Sixty Bokes Olde and Newe: Manuscripts and Early Printed Books from Libraries in and near Philadelphia Illustrating Chaucer's Sources, His Works, and Their Influence, exh. cat. (Knoxville, Tenn.: The New Chaucer Society, University of Tennessee, 1986), pp. 45-47, no. 29, illus.
• Meradith T. McMunn, "The Iconography of Dangier in the Illustrated Manuscripts of the Roman de la Rose," Romance Languages Annual, vol. (1994), pp. 86-91, esp. pp. 87, 89, 91, fig. 4
• Meradith T. McMunn, "Animal Imagery in the Text and Illustrations of the Roman de Ia Rose," Reinardus, vol. 9 (1996), pp. 87-108. esp. pp. 91, 99, 103
• Meradith T. McMunn, "In Love and War: Images of Warfare in the Illustrated Manuscripts of the Roman de Ia Rose," in Susan J. Ridyard, ed., Chivalry, Knighthood, and War in the Middle Ages, Sewanee Mediaeval Studies, vol. 9 (Sewanee, Tenn.: University of the South Press, 1999), pp. 172, 186, fig. 4
• Meradith T. McMunn, "Reconstructing a Missing Manuscript of the Roman de Ia Rose: The Jersey Manuscript," Scriptorium, vol. (1999), pp. 31-62, esp. pp. 45, 48, 62.

Keywords

• 15th century
• French
• France
• Illumination
• Miniature
• Allegory
• Literature -- Poetry

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs 1945‑65‑3: Roman de la Rose are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, Philadelphia Museum of Art has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs 1945‑65‑3: Roman de la Rose. This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

Table of contents

• fol. 1r — Roman de la Rose
• fol. 151r — Testament
• fol. 178r — [Rhyming song] "Le Songe" (The Dream)
• fol. 180r — Les Sept Articles de la Foi de Jean Chapuis (The Seven Articles of Faith of Jean Chapuis) known as the "Codicille Maistre Jehan de Meun"
• fol. 193r — Codicille
• fol. 200v — Petit Codicille
• fol. 201v — Miserere defunctorum

Decorations

• fol. 1r — Half-page miniature, Dream of Scipio
• fol. 1r — Inhabited initial M
• fol. 2r — Small miniature, Haine [Hate]
• fol. 2r — Small miniature, Villenie [Villainy]
• fol. 2v — Small miniature, Couvoitise [Covetousness]
• fol. 2v — Small miniature, Avarice [Avarice]
• fol. 3r — Small miniature, Orgueil [Pride]
• fol. 3r — Small miniature, Envie [Envy]
• fol. 3v — Small miniature, Tristesse [Sadness]
• fol. 4r — Small miniature, Viellesse [Old Age]
• fol. 4v — Small miniature, Papelardie [Hypocrisy]
• fol. 5r — Small miniature, Povrette [Poverty]
• fol. 6r — Small miniature, Oyseuse parle a lamant [Oiseuse (Idleness) speaks to the lover]
• fol. 7r — Small miniature, La karole au dieu damours [The dance of the god of love]
• fol. 9r — Small miniature, Richesse parle [Riches speaking]
• fol. 9v — Small miniature, Largesse [Largess]
• fol. 10r — Small miniature, Franchise et son amy [Frankness and her lover]
• fol. 10v — Small miniature, Courtoisie et son amy [Courtesy and her lover]
• fol. 11r — Small miniature, Oyseuse [Oiseuse, (Idleness)]
• fol. 11r — Small miniature, Joyenesse [Joyousness]
• fol. 12r — Small miniature, The Fountain of Love
• fol. 12v — Small miniature, Narcissus at the fountain
• fol. 13v — Small miniature, The Lover at the fountain
• fol. 14r — Small miniature, The God of Love Shoots the Lover with His Arrow
• fol. 15v — Small miniature, The God of Love speaks with the Lover
• fol. 16r — Small miniature, The Lover pays homage to the God of Love
• fol. 16v — Small miniature, The God of Love locks the Lover's heart
• fol. 17r — Small miniature, The God of Love explains his commandments to the Lover
• fol. 21v — Small miniature, Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming) speaks to the Lover
• fol. 22v — Small miniature, Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming) offers the Lover the Rose
• fol. 23r — Small miniature, Dangier (Danger) warns Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming)
• fol. 23v — Small miniature, Raison (Reason) scolds the Lover
• fol. 24v — Small miniature, Ami (Friend) counsels the Lover
• fol. 24v — The Lover apologizes to Dangier (Danger)
• fol. 25v — Small miniature, Franchise (Frankness) and Pitie (Pity) plead the Lover's cause with Dangier (Danger)
• fol. 26r — Small miniature, Franchise (Frankness) speaks to Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming)
• fol. 26v — Small miniature, Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming) speaks to the Lover
• fol. 27r — Small miniature, Venus intercedes with Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming)
• fol. 27v — Small miniature, The Lover kisses the Rose
• fol. 28r — Small miniature, Jalousie (Jealousy) chastises Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming)
• fol. 28r — Small miniature, Honte (Shame) speaks to Jalousie (Jealousy)
• fol. 28v — Small miniature, Jalousie (Jealousy) speaks to Honte (Shame)
• fol. 29r — Small miniature, Honte (Shame) and Peor (Fear) Wake Dangier (Danger) and speak to the Lover
• fol. 30r — Small miniature, Building the castle of Jalousie (Jealousy)
• fol. 30v — Small miniature, The castle of Jalousie (Jealousy)
• fol. 32r — Small miniature, Author Portrait, Jean de Meun
• fol. 33v — Small miniature, Raison speaks to the Lover
• fol. 38r — Small miniature, Wheel of Fortune with four figures and banderoles with Latin text
• fol. 43v — Small miniature, Virginius holds Virginia's head
• fol. 47r — Small miniature, Wheel of Fortune with three figures
• fol. 47v — Small miniature, Suicide of Seneca
• fol. 49r — Small miniature, Nero commits suicide
• fol. 49v — Small miniature, Croseus saved from the pyre
• fol. 50v — Small miniature, Charles I Kills Manfred of Sicily
• fol. 54v — Small miniature, Ami (Friend) counsels the Lover once more
• fol. 62v — Small miniature, Li Jalous (The Jealous Man) berates his wife
• fol. 63v — Small miniature, Lucretia commits suicide
• fol. 72v — Small miniature, The Lover finds Richesse (Riches) with her Lover
• fol. 73v — Small miniature, Richesse (Riches) describing Povrete (Poverty) to the Lover
• fol. 74v — Small miniature, The God of Love speaks to the Lover
• fol. 75v — Small miniature, Abstinence Contrainte (Forced Abstinence) and Faulx Semblant (False Seeming) speak with the God of Love
• fol. 76r — Small miniature, The God of Love speaks to the Barrons
• fol. 79r — Small miniature, The God of Love crowns Faulx Semblant (False Seeming)
• fol. 79v — Small miniature, Faulx Semblant (False Seeming) speaks to the God of Love
• fol. 87r — Small miniature, Abstinence Contrainte (Forced Abstinence) and Faulx Semblant (Flase Seeming) visit Malebouche
• fol. 89v — Small miniature, Faulx Semblant (False Seeming) confesses to Malebouche (Foul Mouth)
• fol. 91r — Small miniature, La Vieille (The Old Woman) speaks with Bel Acueil (Warm Welcome)
• fol. 92v — Small miniature, La Vieille (The Old Woman) teaches Bel Acueil (Warm Welcome)
• fol. 95r — Small miniature, Dido commits suicide
• fol. 105r — Small miniature, Bel Acueil (Warm Welcome) counsels the Lover
• fol. 107v — Small miniature, The God of Love and the barons come to the aid of the Lover
• fol. 108v — Small miniature, Preparation for battle at the castle
• fol. 117v — Small miniature, Nature confesses to Genius
• fol. 135r — Small miniature, Genius preaches on behalf of Nature
• fol. 143r — Small miniature, Venus shoots her flaming arrow at Fear and Shame
• fol. 143v — Small miniature, Pygmalion admires his ivory statue
• fol. 151r — Large miniature, Jean de Meun writing at a desk