A Leaf From a Glamorous Manuscript from 14th Century France, Created for the Wealthy, Containing Art Reminiscent of a Prominent Illustrator, Including a Medieval Dragon

From heirs of great collector Otto Fisher

In 1345, Notre Dame Cathedral completed its final stage of major construction. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This same period saw Paris and France in general in some turmoil. The population was reduced by famine between 1315 and 1317 and by plague in 1348-49. The early 15th century would see major developments in the Hundred Years War.

The Breviary was an important medieval text for this purpose, containing the prayers, hymns, readings and other religious texts for daily use. The richest would hire master illustrators and create in their Breviaries works of art commensurate with their social status.

Jean Pucelle was a Parisian Gothic-era manuscript illuminator who excelled in the addition of animals and other creatures, including dragons. He worked primarily under the patronage of the royal court. His work is revered today.

Medieval manuscript from a glamorous 14th-century, nearly certainly Parisian, French text, containing sections of psalms and readings from Augustine relating to the worship of the Virgin Mary (‘Dicit ergo Maria’, ‘Mary, therefore, says’…). On the back (verso), the top of the ornamental border terminates in decorative drawing of a a dragon. The manuscript contains art influenced by Pucelle, whose style is known for its inclusion of whimsical and allegorical figures, such as dragons, in the margins and borders. Among the texts are three readings, headlined in French, then written in Latin, from Augustine reflecting stories about Mary. The Ave Maria is written as a response on the back (verso).

This leaf comes from the collection of Otto Fisher. Most of Fisher’s medieval material appears to come from the great Dutch manuscript dealer Erik von Scherling and this may have as well.

More details:

Anonymous Parisian artist, in the style of Pucelle

A leaf from a Breviary, likely for Franciscan Use, with text in Latin and rubrications in French, illuminated

manuscript on vellum [Northern France, likely Paris, late 14th century]: Recto and verso with two columns of 36 lines written space: 235 x 170mm. Recto and verso with two columns of 36 lines, written space: 170 x 120mm, rubrics written in red in French, with contemporary folio number in running head at top (xx iiii xvi), 20 one-line initials alternate blue and gold with penwork or red and blue penwork; red and blue line fillers; many letters subtly illuminated with yellow wash; 4 two-line initials in blue or pink on a gold ground with ivy-leaf infill, 1 three-lined illuminated initial ‘V’ (opening the first lesson; ‘Vidi portam) on a burnished gold ground enclosing ivy leaves. Ivy-leaf bar borders on recto and verso with the top of the verso terminating in a dragon figure. Catchword in the bottom margin (‘Tuis in vestitu’). Small correction using subpuncti to omit letter M in conte<m>ptum. Rubricator may not have supplied red R and V marks to indicate call and response on the verso, column B.

Brown ink, script is a high quality (formata) Gothic textualis with quadrata feet on the letters M and N, with bifurcations on ascenders and descenders, hairlines to increase the quality of script. Smaller text indicates sung portions of the liturgy.

Text includes:

Recto:

Psalm 1; 1st lesson (Vidi portam in domo); Response (Missus est angelus Fabriel); 2nd lesson (Dicat ergo maria Porta factus sum)

Verso:

3rd lesson (Tu es laudabilis inter femina); “In the 2nd nocturn; Psalm [44]” (Eructavit cor meum).