Roman de la Rose (University of Chicago Library MS. 1380)

Dance in the garden of Deduiz [Delight], f. 4v.

Colloquial name(s): Roman de la Rose

Official name(s): University of Chicago Library MS. 1380

Date: c. 1365 (source)

Origin: France (source); Paris, France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The University of Chicago Library and the Roman de la Rose Digital Library

University of Chicago Library MS. 1380 is one of the multiple hundred extant manuscript copies of Le Roman de la Rose, an allegorical love poem written c. 1230 by Guillaume de Lorris and continued in approximately 1270 by Jean de Meun (source). It also contains Testament by Jean de Meun, Le codicille by Jean de Meun and a 17th C poem on alchemy (source). It was produced by the 'Master of Saint Voult', along with its sister manuscript Le Jeu de échecs moralisé (University of Chicago Library MS. 392). These two manuscripts have very similar artistic styles, were kept together and, at some points in history, were bound together (source and second source).

The manuscript contains delightful examples of French fashionable dress from the third quarter of the 14th C. Also, like other copies of Le Roman de la Rose, it is very useful for finding images of lowerclass people, particularly lowerclass women, due to the inclusion of stereotyped images of allegorical characters (see tutorial for finding these images). Unlike its sister manuscript MS. 392, it does not contain many military images.

List of illustrations (with descriptions from the Roman de la Rose Digital Library and myself):

1r	Portrait of the Author (Guillame de Lorris, a tonsured man in a brown habit) writing at his desk whilst overlooking the Dream of Scipio.
2r	Portrait of Haine, Felonie and Villanie (Hate, Felony and Villany, depicted as lowerclass women).
2r	Portrait of Covoitise (the allegory of Covetousness/Greed, depicted as a woman).
2v	Portrait of Avarice (Avarice, depicted as a woman hoarding gold coins in a chest).
2v	Portrait of Envie (Envy, depicted as a woman pointing at a kissing upperclass couple).
3r	Portrait of Tritesce (Sorrow/Misery, depicted as a woman pulling at her hair).
3v	Portrait of Vielleice (Old Age/Senility, depicted as an old man with a cane, sat in a chair).
4v	The Dance in the Garden of Deduiz (Desire).
5r	Deduiz (Desire, a conservatively-dressed man) stands with Leesce (Joy, an upperclass young woman).
5v	Leesce (Joy) stands with Amors (God of Love, depicted as a crowned angel).
6r	Amors stands with Douz Regart (Sweet Looks, an upperclass young boy holding two bows and some arrows). They meet three upperclass young women.
6v	Amors stands with Biautez, Richece and Largesce (Beauty, Wealth and Generosity/Largesse). The folio is ripped, so only a portion of Amors remains.
7r	Portrait of Franchise (Openness/Generosity of Spirit, an upperclass young woman), accompanied by an upperclass young boy.
7v	Portrait of Cortoisie (Courtesy, an upperclass young woman) with a fashionable upperclass young man.
7v	Portrait of Oiseuse (Idleness/Ease/Leisure, an upperclass young woman) with L'Amans (Lover, the protagonist, an upperclass young man).
8r	Portrait of Joinece (Youth, an upperclass young woman) kissing an upperclass young man whilst two fashionable upperclass young women look on.
8r	Amors and Douz Regart follow L'Amans. Douz Regart holds arrows whilst Amors tries to shoot L'Amans with an arrow.
9v	Narcisus (an upperclass young man) stares into the fountain whilst his horse looks on.
11r	Amors shoots L'Amans with his arrows, shooting an arrow into his eye.
17r	Bel Acueil (Fair Welcoming/Responsiveness, an upperclass young man) speaks to L'Amans.
18v	Reson (Reason, an upperclass young woman) scolds L'Amans. [The illustration is at f. 18v but at the Roman de la Rose Digital Library the description is incorrectly given at f. 18r.]
19v	Amis (Friend, an upperclass young man) counsels L'Amans.
20v	Franchise and Pitie (Pity, an upperclass young woman) plead L'Amans' cause with Dangier (Resistance/Rebuff/Refusal/Danger, a hooded lowerclass man carrying a crude club).
21r	Franchise speaks to Bel Acueil, accompanied by a lowerclass woman.
22v	Jalousie (Jealousy, an upperclass young woman) chastises Bel Acueil, accompanied by a lowerclass man.
24v	Building the Castle of Jalousie (Jealousy). Bel Acueil enters it.
27r	Reson speaks to L'Amans, observed by two upperclass young men.
31v	The Wheel of Fortune: Reson and a tonsured man look on as Fortune (an upperclass young woman) turns her wheel.
47r	Amis again counsels L'Amans.
55r	Jalous (Jealous Husband, a hooded lowerclass man) beats his wife with a crude club whilst holding her by her unbound, uncovered hair. One upperclass young man attempts to hold him back whilst three conservatively dressed young men watch.
66v	Amors speaks to L'Amans.
70r	Fausemblant (False-Seeming/Fraud, a tonsured priest or friar in a black mantle) before Amors. Several armoured men holding spears look on.
78r	Contreinte Atenance (Forced/Constrained Abstinence, a woman with a fashionable blue dress but a lowerclass wrapped and knotted wimple/veil) and Fausemblant scold Malebouche (Foul Mouth/Scandal, a man).
79v	Fausemblant cuts out Malebouche's tongue as and Contreinte Atenance looks on. Contreinte Atenance wears a different dress (pink, lowerclass) and the same wrapped and knotted wimple/veil.
80r	Fausemblant, Contreinte Atenance, Cortoisie and Largesce speak to Vieille (Old Woman, a woman wearing a fashionable dress that lacks a low neckline plus a hood). Contreinte Atenance has a different dress again (yellow, lowerclass) but the same wimple/veil.
81r	Vieille gives Bel Acueil the Crown of Flowers. Vielle this time wears a bright red-orange hood and the same blue dress although a dusky red-brown dress is visible beneath it at the hem. [Bel Acueil is now an upperclass young woman. This may be an error in the illustration descriptions at the Roman de la Rose Digital Library.]
82r	Bel Acueil accepts the Crown of Flowers. Bel Acueil now wears a bright red dress with white tippets and fitchets. Vielle now wears a pink lowerclass dress and a similar bright red-orange hood.
96r	Dangier, Peor (Fear/Timidity, an upperclass young woman), Honte (Shame/Modesty, an upperclass woman) and another upperclass young woman capture L'Amans.
102v	A man and woman, naked from the waist up and with the woman's hair loose, embrace (i.e. have sex) in a bed. Behind them, Nature (a crowned upperclass young woman) holds a hammer and a naked newborn (i.e. forges new life at her smithy). In the background, a man is visible, pumping the bellows for Nature's forge.
133v	Venus (a crowned upperclass young woman shooting a bow), Amors shooting a bow and the Barons (armoured men) assault the Castle, which contains one armoured man and two upperclass young women.
137v	Venus burns the Castle. She is in attendance with Amors and the Barons. Inside the burning castle are four upperclass young women; within its doorway is a man.
142r	Portrait of the Author (Jean de Meun, a tonsured man in a red habit) writing whilst sat in a chair. Beside him sit, the Virgin Mary (?) and Jesus (?) over whom flies the dove signifying the Holy Spirit (?)