Bible Historiale Complétée (BNF Fr. 5707)

Three men meet a seated king, f. 2r.

Colloquial name(s): Bible Historiale Complétée

Official name(s): Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 5707

Date: 1360-65 (source)

Origin: Paris, France (source)

Online facsimile available via: Bibliothèque nationale de France Gallica digital library

This copy of the Bible Historiale was copied for King Charles V by Raoulet d'Orléans, as indicated by the inscription on f. 367v (source). This manuscript is the second volume of a pair, the first of which has not been found (source).

The manuscript is copiously illustrated in grisaille, a technique used in French manuscripts from the first half of the 14th C whereby the artwork is purposely rendered in shades of grey. In this case, unlike some other examples of grisaille, the figures are in shades of grey but the backgrounds and occasional details are in colour. The illuminations are thought to have been produced by the Master of the Coronation Book (source).

Basic descriptions of the illustrations are provided by the Bibliothèque nationale de France with the facsimile - just click on the 'i' icon on the left-hand side.