Golden Legend (Bibliothèque Mazarine, Ms 1729)

Jesus and the Virgin Mary, surrounded by the symbols of
the Evangelists, f. 1r.

Colloquial name(s): the Golden Legend / Légende dorée

Official name(s): Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine, Ms 1729

Date: around 1370 (source), 1365-75 (source)

Origin: France (source and source)

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

The Golden Legend was written by Jacobus de Voragine (b. c. 1229, d. c. 1298) (source). This copy is of the French translation, which was made by Jean de Vignay (source). It was produced for Charles V, king of France, and following his death passed to Charles VI, king of France (source). After this, it was owned by John, Duke of Bedford, and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (source), probably via the same route as is recorded for Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Ms 777.

These are executed 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.