Bible Historiale: Genesis, Patient Griselda and other texts
Bible Historiale by Guiart des Moulins, Patient Griselda by Giovanni Bocaccio
- Master of the Berry Apocalypse
Manuscript in French on vellum
France, Paris, c. 1416
303 x 236 mm
210 leaves. Numerous 1-2-line burnished gold initials on pink and blue grounds with white-line tracery throughout, about 80 large illuminated initials (2- to 10-line high) with orange and blue foliage on burnished gold grounds and borders of burnished gold ivy leaves on delicate black hairline stems, 1 large miniature and 77 column-wide miniatures. 2 leaves missing before f. 113. Green velvet over wooden boards, two clasps missing. Some smudging and slight staining, gently cleaned, few small flaws restored, minor worming of end leaves, generally in good condition with remarkably wide margins.
Collections of edifying literature were popular at the court of France in the early 15th century. The inventory of the library of Charles VI lists a number of such volumes, narrating in prose and verse, biblical histories and the lives of saints.
The present manuscript is correspondingly a remarkable collection of vernacular history and literature, in poetry and prose, relating sacred history from the creation of the world, through the lives of Christ and various of the apostles and saints, and concluding with the story of the patient Griselda. The extensive illustration cycle and the mix of prose and poetry in French offer edifying examples of virtuous conduct. Catering to the taste of an aristocratic audience, the stories emphasised on deeds of chivalry, battles, adventures and miracles. Meant to entertain and to encourage good conduct, this book particularly addressed young nobility.
The compositions of the images focus on narrative details with lively figures attributed to the workshop of the Apocalypse Master, who is named after his major work in a manuscript made for the duke of Berry (New York, ML, ms. M. 133). Active from around 1407-1420, this illuminator specialised in illustrating manuscripts with large cycles of images although he is not known to have contributed to Books of Hours. He distinguished himself from other artists who worked for the famous bibliophile duke in a style characterised by a graphic approach with sparing application of colour; in a way his images look like coloured grisailles. This style was governed by taste and not costs, as none were spared in the gilt diapered backgrounds, frames, initials and ivy leaf borders.
