Illuminations of the "Roman de Troie" and French royal dynastic ambition (1260-1340) [thesis]

404 Pages·2002·20.8 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Morrison

I 1 11 Number: 3050461
Copyright 2002 by
Morrison, Elizabeth
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ILLUMINATIONS OF THE ROMAN DE TROIE AND
FRENCH ROYAL DYNASTIC AMBITION (1260-1340)
A Dissertation
Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School
of Cornell University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
by
Elizabeth Morrison
May 2002
0 2002 Elizabeth Morrison
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Elizabeth Morrison first discovered her love of medieval art at the age of 16
when her high school offered a unique two-year course in music and art history taught
by two remarkable instructors. At Northwestern University as an undergraduate she
majored in art history with a focus on illuminated manuscripts, and her graduate
studies at Cornell University offered her further opportunities to immerse herself in
the Middle Ages. A move to Los Angeles followed in 1996 where she was fortunate
enough to join the Department of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She is
currently Assistant Curator there and is working on the upcoming catalogue and
exhibition “Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript
Painting in Europe 1467-1561.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It was only with the support and encouragement of a variety of individuals and
institutions that this dissertation came to fruition. First and foremost I must recognize
the members of my committee. During my time at Cornell, my committee chair
Robert Calkins provided the intellectual basis for my understanding of the art of
illumination, and since then, his unequaled enthusiasm for the study of manuscripts
has continued to inspire my own research. James John of Cornell’s History
Department is a true scholar and gentleman, whose many classes taught me the
importance of the historical context for works of art. Laura Meixner was more than
generous with her time in helping me to explore the theoretical basis for my ideas.
For the past six years my colleagues at the J. Paul Getty Museum have been
unflagging in their support for this project. I wish to recognize the tremendous
contribution of Thomas Kren, Curator of Manuscripts. His wide-ranging knowledge
of medieval manuscripts continues to astound me, and his generosity in sharing that
knowledge has made my time at the Getty an unparalleled learning experience. His
support of me personally, moreover, has been deeply felt. The other members of the
department, Liz Teviotdale, Kurt Barstow, and the many interns who have been a part
of the “Manuscripts Institute” ail deserve recognition for their role in stimulating me
intellectually and keeping me motivated. I must especially thank my Getty colleague
and fellow Cornell student Richard Gay, whose unwavering confidence that I would
finish was as important to me as our many discussions on subject matter.
Over the years, a number of scholars have been generous with their time and
effort. This whole project began at Northwestern University where Sandra Hindman
supervised my senior thesis on one of the manuscripts of the Roman de Troie.
Invaluable assistance in the process of writing this dissertation came from Richard and
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Mary Rouse, Anne D. Hedeman, Scot McKendrick, Gabrielle Spiegel, and Harvey
Stahl, all of whom kindly read and commented upon various versions of my ideas.
I would also like to thank those institutions whose contributions made this
dissertation possible. Cornell University provided me with a Sage Fellowship for the
first year of my studies; the Samuel H. Kress Foundation funded a summer of intense
primary research in Europe; and the J. Paul Getty Trust enabled me to complete my
research overseas.
Lastly, this dissertation never would have been started, let alone finished, were
it not for the steadfast support of friends and family. My four college roommates,
Denise Gilman, Marya Howell, Beth Duerlinger, and Meredith Kolsky, are the most
remarkable set of women I know, and never gave up hope that someday I would get
my degree. The time I spent in Ithaca was enriched tremendously by the presence of
my fellow graduate students Andy Weislogel, Tom Giordano, and Sandy Weddle, and
in the years since, their friendship has continued to enrich my life both personally and
professionally. In Los Angeles, I have been lucky enough to be supported by an
incredibly diverse group of friends who make life in LA better than I ever could have
thought possible. I especially wish to thank Annie Lyden and Mark Podhajsky whose
influence on my life has been profound and without whose encouragement I would not
have had the courage to undertake the work of the past year. Trevor Law is someone
who will truly understand what this dissertation means to me. I also want to
acknowledge Ingrid, Greta, Collette, and Amsel, who will never know how much they
contributed to the completion of this dissertation (they are too busy wagging their tails
and purring). Lastly and most importantly, I thank all my family from the bottom of
my heart and dedicate this dissertation to them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF FIGURES viii
INTRODUCTION: Illuminating the Past 1
CHAPTER 1 The Historical Background: Trojan Origins and the 7
Early Capetians
I. Origins of the Trojan Myth 7
II. The Early Capetians and the Foundations of Power 10
III. Louis VI and the Abbey of Saint-Denis 16
IV. Philip Augustus and Royal Historiography 22
CHAPTER 2 Capetian Kings, Trojan Blood: Vernacular Literature 35
under Louis IX and the Roman de Troie
I. Power and Propaganda during the Reign of Louis IX 36
II. National Consciousness and the Trojan Myth 46
III. The Grandes Chroniques and Hector’s Legacy 57
IV. The Roman de Troie as a Mediator of History 64
CHAPTER 3 Beginning to Imagine Troy: The Earliest Fully Illuminated 82
French Copy of the Roman de Troie
I. Placing BN Ms. fr. 1610 in Context 83
II. Visualizing the Text in the Manuscript 106
CHAPTER 4 Continuity in Politics and Pictures: The Illuminated 134
Roman de Troie at the End of the 13th Century
I. Building the Power of the Monarchy 135
II. Illuminated Manuscripts of the Roman de Troie to c. 1300 143
III. Narrative Illuminations of the Roman de Troie 163
IV. Roman de Troie Illuminations Outside the 176
French Royal Sphere
CHAPTER 5 Images in a Time of Crisis: Illuminations of the 182
Roman de Troie and the End of the Capetians
I. The Last Capetians and the First Valois 183
II. Placing BN Ms. fr. 60 in Context 190
III. The Miniatures of BN Ms, fr. 60 199
CONCLUSION: Reliving the Past 221
APPENDIX 1: Genealogy of the Capetians 226
APPENDIX 2: List of the Mss. and Fragments of the Roman de Troie 228
APPENDIX 3: Prologue of the Grandes Chroniques 233
APPENDIX 4: Prologue of the Roman de Troie 236
APPENDIX 5: Catalogue of French Illuminated Roman de Troie Mss. 240
APPENDIX 6: Concordance of Illuminations of the Roman de Troie 272
APPENDIX 7: Figures 276
BIBLIOGRAPHY 372
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Trojan horse episode. Roman de Troie. 276
Paris, BN Ms. fr. 1610, fol. 156.
Figure 2 Trojan battles: 277
register 1: A Greek drags a Trojan body behind him.
register 2: Ajax strikes Paris in the head with his sword,
register 3: Pirrus kills Penthesilea.
Roman de Troie. Paris, BN Ms. fr. 1610, fol. 154v.
Figure 3 Eurialus and Nisus. Eneide. 278
Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, Ms. fol. germ. 282, fol. XLIV.
Figure 4 Abduction of Helen: 279
register 1: Priam with assembly.
register 2: Paris and his men set sail for Greece.
register 3: first half: Paris grasps Helen in the foreground;
second half: Paris leads Helen away to the far right.
Roman de Troie. Stichtung Huis Bergh, s’Heerenberg,
Holland.
Figure 5 Abduction of Helen. Roman de la Poire. 280
Paris, BN Ms. fr. 2186, fol. 9v.
Figure 6 Death of Hector: 281
register 1: Achilles kills Hector.
register 2: Soldiers bring back the body of Hector to Troy.
Roman de Troie. Stichtung Huis Bergh, s’Heerenberg,
Holland.
Figure 7 Battle scene. Bible. 282
Assisi, Biblioteca Comunale Ms. B.C.l 1, fol. 2.
Figure 8 Jesse (Book of Matthew). Bible. 283
Assisi Biblioteca Comunale Ms. B.C.l 1, fol. lv.
Figure 9 First anniversary of Hector’s death. Roman de Troie. 284
Paris, BN Ms. fr. 1610, fol. 102v.
Figure 10 Siege of a castle. Histoire d 'Outremer, 285
Paris, BN Ms. fr. 2827, fol. 33.
Figure 11 Achilles goes to the oracle at Delphos. Roman de Troie. 286
Paris, BN Ms. fr. 1610, fol. 35.
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