DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14714#0091
DESCRIPTION OF MS.
A BEAUTIFUL MANUSCRIPT IN CAMEE-GRIS, CONTAINING DIALOGUES
OF FRANCIS I. OF FRANCE, AND JULIUS CJ1SAR.
PRESERVED IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
At the close of the fifteenth century, when gorgeousness of colour and intricacy
of design had done their utmost in the art of illumination, novelty of effect was
sought by means of simplicity of form and sobriety of colour. The books
decorated in camee-gris, or grisaille as it has been called, are examples of this
feeling. Many works of this class contain precisely the same types of ornament
and the same spirit of composition as the most highly wrought works of the
rranCOJ5parlagracedeDieU t\Oy I fifteenth century, with the exception of all the details being executed in two
de France, second Cae5ar, or three tints of blueish grey.
victCUt" ^domateurdeSAVoUVCe^ I ^ nave not thought it necessary to give examples of this style, as any
I j TV A ' '1 • • of mv examples of fifteenth century work will convey a good idea of it, by
ledernienourl) Avrilemq mois ■ ; . . . . , .J .. . , . , , , +1 . ..,,
. , ' \ I merely imagining them executed in tints ot grey, instead ot the beautiful
apre/JlanatlVltede SOn SCCOnd fib I combinations of colour which usually distinguish them.
enSOll pare de -Sainct G erniaitl I Another class of artist illuminators of this latter period, bestowing
Gil LaVC reCOntra J li1eCa?far I infinitely less labour upon the decorative borders, and concentrating their
or 1 > • f 1 1 energies upon the miniatures, wrought out a style which, though less decora-
K I interrocfa, fubtilement *■ * ! vv • i • e •
q tive, contains suggestive features which, even in a decorative point ot view,
du contenu .son premierljure I may be highly valuable.
de,S CO m m ent a i re5 . The beautiful book from which our two specimens are taken is a fine example
of this last-mentioned school. In the first page, though the arabesqued border
of former periods has been altogether abandoned and the margin left quite
plain, yet a chaste decorative effect has been obtained by the introduction
of the medallion portraits of Francis and Ca;sar, carefully painted to imitate
white relief, on a rich blue ground—an effect similar to that of the celebrated
OsCSar Oremier JSublUOateur I Portland vase; and possibly the artist had seen antique glass cameos of that
deS bdueceS' luv f* t O'ra I description which suggested the idea, for that he was aware of the aids to be
„ „ J J o ... m obtained from the remains of antiquity is proved by the head of Cassar, which
CieU 1 e rcl ponse en I'aduertlt- I ie evidently copied from a Roman coin.
fant VeHtablement dela nature I The tablets forming the border to this description are the first page of the
(Jf»<^ ^OLiyCeAS & AllcmanS'& I manuscript, and exhibit an ingenious arrangement, by which a frontispiece,
dl /l ^ i. i I a title, and, in fact, a preface to the book, are combined in one feature,
e pliilieur.saultre.s cnoses bon-| ' , . ' . , , -. • • . • •,
i Ihe book contains a great number ot highly wrought miniatures, similar
ilCsStproflta.ble.S defcjliel.S Oil I \n general character to our second specimen, but infinitely varied in the treat-
le doyt CrOVTe,Car il eflseiir I ment of detail and effect. There are sieges, attacks in mountain passes, march
& liable lefmoinVnon parlant I scenes' ca™P acene*> &c;' ^n endleu8S 7at?etyi.but 7T of ^ fght scenes are
j, O I perhaps the most beautiful, in which the effect of fires, and also of the stars,
parOUyr Clire. produced by means of gold, is very beautiful and ingenious; and the careful
and graceful drawing of the figures in that feeling of almost overwrought
elegance which belongs to the period of the renaissance, stands quite unrivalled
by any manuscript of the class that I have seen, except one in the Arsenal of
Paris, containing the triumphs of Petrarch, by the same hand, the same
signature, G., being found on the little tablets, and on one of them, first noticed by Dr. Waagen, the name at full, Godefroy. He appears to
have been a great master of his art, and the French school of the " Renaissance," the school of Fontainbleau, as it is sometimes termed, has
scarcely a more elegant representative.
Although Godefroy appears, as I have said, to have been acquainted with the beautiful remains of ancient art, yet in these miniatures,
though relating to the times of Julius Cffisar, many of the costumes are of the period of Francis I.; but even in this anachronism the artist
has preserved a sort of consistency, for Csesar and his legions generally appear in a dress of a more Romanised character, while he appears to
have satisfied himself that the costume of the Gallic tribes was the same fifty years before the Christian era as in the year 1519, at which
time, according to a date affixed to most of the miniatures, he appears to have executed his work.
The principal object of the present work is to trace the progress and development of decorative art as exhibited in illuminated books;
it has, consequently, more to do with the strictly ornamental portions, than with the miniatures, which belong more particularly to a history of
[tainting. Therefore, such miniatures as I have selected for examples in this work, have presented decorative features also, as is the case in the
present instance, where I may especially point out the judicious use of colour, as blue, red, and gold, in addition to the grey ; which by their
happy employment enrich and enliven the heaviness of that sober tone, without destroying the unity of effect, or producing the slightest
patchiness, as will be readily acknowledged on reference to our example, representing a meeting between Ariovistus, a Gallic chief, and
Cassar. There are no enriched capitals in the volumes, the text being only varied by the occasional introduction of blue or gold letters of the
ordinary forms. There is a curious map of France at the commencement of the volume.
A BEAUTIFUL MANUSCRIPT IN CAMEE-GRIS, CONTAINING DIALOGUES
OF FRANCIS I. OF FRANCE, AND JULIUS CJ1SAR.
PRESERVED IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
At the close of the fifteenth century, when gorgeousness of colour and intricacy
of design had done their utmost in the art of illumination, novelty of effect was
sought by means of simplicity of form and sobriety of colour. The books
decorated in camee-gris, or grisaille as it has been called, are examples of this
feeling. Many works of this class contain precisely the same types of ornament
and the same spirit of composition as the most highly wrought works of the
rranCOJ5parlagracedeDieU t\Oy I fifteenth century, with the exception of all the details being executed in two
de France, second Cae5ar, or three tints of blueish grey.
victCUt" ^domateurdeSAVoUVCe^ I ^ nave not thought it necessary to give examples of this style, as any
I j TV A ' '1 • • of mv examples of fifteenth century work will convey a good idea of it, by
ledernienourl) Avrilemq mois ■ ; . . . . , .J .. . , . , , , +1 . ..,,
. , ' \ I merely imagining them executed in tints ot grey, instead ot the beautiful
apre/JlanatlVltede SOn SCCOnd fib I combinations of colour which usually distinguish them.
enSOll pare de -Sainct G erniaitl I Another class of artist illuminators of this latter period, bestowing
Gil LaVC reCOntra J li1eCa?far I infinitely less labour upon the decorative borders, and concentrating their
or 1 > • f 1 1 energies upon the miniatures, wrought out a style which, though less decora-
K I interrocfa, fubtilement *■ * ! vv • i • e •
q tive, contains suggestive features which, even in a decorative point ot view,
du contenu .son premierljure I may be highly valuable.
de,S CO m m ent a i re5 . The beautiful book from which our two specimens are taken is a fine example
of this last-mentioned school. In the first page, though the arabesqued border
of former periods has been altogether abandoned and the margin left quite
plain, yet a chaste decorative effect has been obtained by the introduction
of the medallion portraits of Francis and Ca;sar, carefully painted to imitate
white relief, on a rich blue ground—an effect similar to that of the celebrated
OsCSar Oremier JSublUOateur I Portland vase; and possibly the artist had seen antique glass cameos of that
deS bdueceS' luv f* t O'ra I description which suggested the idea, for that he was aware of the aids to be
„ „ J J o ... m obtained from the remains of antiquity is proved by the head of Cassar, which
CieU 1 e rcl ponse en I'aduertlt- I ie evidently copied from a Roman coin.
fant VeHtablement dela nature I The tablets forming the border to this description are the first page of the
(Jf»<^ ^OLiyCeAS & AllcmanS'& I manuscript, and exhibit an ingenious arrangement, by which a frontispiece,
dl /l ^ i. i I a title, and, in fact, a preface to the book, are combined in one feature,
e pliilieur.saultre.s cnoses bon-| ' , . ' . , , -. • • . • •,
i Ihe book contains a great number ot highly wrought miniatures, similar
ilCsStproflta.ble.S defcjliel.S Oil I \n general character to our second specimen, but infinitely varied in the treat-
le doyt CrOVTe,Car il eflseiir I ment of detail and effect. There are sieges, attacks in mountain passes, march
& liable lefmoinVnon parlant I scenes' ca™P acene*> &c;' ^n endleu8S 7at?etyi.but 7T of ^ fght scenes are
j, O I perhaps the most beautiful, in which the effect of fires, and also of the stars,
parOUyr Clire. produced by means of gold, is very beautiful and ingenious; and the careful
and graceful drawing of the figures in that feeling of almost overwrought
elegance which belongs to the period of the renaissance, stands quite unrivalled
by any manuscript of the class that I have seen, except one in the Arsenal of
Paris, containing the triumphs of Petrarch, by the same hand, the same
signature, G., being found on the little tablets, and on one of them, first noticed by Dr. Waagen, the name at full, Godefroy. He appears to
have been a great master of his art, and the French school of the " Renaissance," the school of Fontainbleau, as it is sometimes termed, has
scarcely a more elegant representative.
Although Godefroy appears, as I have said, to have been acquainted with the beautiful remains of ancient art, yet in these miniatures,
though relating to the times of Julius Cffisar, many of the costumes are of the period of Francis I.; but even in this anachronism the artist
has preserved a sort of consistency, for Csesar and his legions generally appear in a dress of a more Romanised character, while he appears to
have satisfied himself that the costume of the Gallic tribes was the same fifty years before the Christian era as in the year 1519, at which
time, according to a date affixed to most of the miniatures, he appears to have executed his work.
The principal object of the present work is to trace the progress and development of decorative art as exhibited in illuminated books;
it has, consequently, more to do with the strictly ornamental portions, than with the miniatures, which belong more particularly to a history of
[tainting. Therefore, such miniatures as I have selected for examples in this work, have presented decorative features also, as is the case in the
present instance, where I may especially point out the judicious use of colour, as blue, red, and gold, in addition to the grey ; which by their
happy employment enrich and enliven the heaviness of that sober tone, without destroying the unity of effect, or producing the slightest
patchiness, as will be readily acknowledged on reference to our example, representing a meeting between Ariovistus, a Gallic chief, and
Cassar. There are no enriched capitals in the volumes, the text being only varied by the occasional introduction of blue or gold letters of the
ordinary forms. There is a curious map of France at the commencement of the volume.