Skriptorium

One of the most popular books in history

In its own epoch, the Roman de la Rose – an allegorical poem of love – constituted one of the most frequently read books of secular and vernacular poetry. The text is thought to be a unique creation of allegoric poetry in general and Old French literature in particular.
The work, which was written by two authors, Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, owes its popularity to its straightforwardness, its sense of humour and the complexity of the world of thoughts dealt with in this epic poem.

Sensuality, reserved irony and courtly allegories

One night in the month of May, a young man of twenty years dreams of a paradisiacal garden. He is admitted to the prettiest part of it and finds a rose, symbol of his beloved maiden. Immediately, an untameable desire overwhelms him and the dreamer turns into a man in love.
The courting of his rose is only the beginning of a long journey which leads him through the highs and lows of a love affair. The states of heart he experiences on his way, confusion and pleasure, appear to him as allegorical figures. Some help him to feel ultimate happiness while others plunge him into deep dispair before he achieves his heart’s desire and wins the rose.

107 luminous miniatures

Among the many copies of the Roman de la Rose, the magnificent example now in New York occupies a special position. The manuscript copied by Girard Acarie around 1519 for his king, Francis I of France, and flawlessly illuminated in Rouen boasts extraordinarily lavish decoration.
All 107 radiant miniatures, finely embellished with gold, enhance important moments of the narrative in delicate pictorial language. The illustrations, which are set in architectural frames and on backgrounds painted with great love of detail, break with formal medieval traditions and move toward a more expressive Renaissance style – an unusual feature, even for the famous School of Rouen.
The elaborate decoration is a pleasure to the eye and makes this edition of the Roman de la Rose an exquisite jewel, a picture book that fascinates with or without reading the text.
The codex dates from about 1519, Northern France.