Rose Novel for King François I

The Romance of the Rose for King François I

During its era, Le Roman de la Rose was an allegorical epic concerning the theme of love – one of the most read fictional books of a secular nature and written in the common language of the people. The text in its own way is a unique conception of Old French literature.

Sensuality, Dissociated Irony, and Aristocratic Allegories

A young 20 year-old man dreams on a night in May of a beautiful paradise garden. While in the most beautiful part of the garden he finds a rose, the symbol and ultimately his metaphor for a beloved girl. Suddenly he finds himself overcome with an untamable passion and without warning he is transformed from a dreamer into a lover. With the courtship of his rose (the beloved girl he longs for), a long way begins for him experiencing all the highs and lows of true love. All the soul-moving, confusion and delight that he encounters along this path become personified within him; some lifting him to heights of unimaginable joy and others dropping him into the deepest depths of despair until finally his ultimate goal is attained: the conquest of the rose.

107 Radiant Miniatures

In the long series of Romance of the Rose transcriptions, this gorgeous copy in New York holds a special place. It was copied in 1519 by Girard Acarie for his King Francois I and the perfect illuminated hand writing was endowed with exceptional decorative illustrations in Rouen. 107 radiant miniatures altogether show a soft language of pictures. The illustrations reveal stylistic architecture in their frames and the joyful details that are arranged in the background are not just the formal Middle Age traditions that existed but also show a tendency toward the expression of a strong Renaissance style. All 420 pages of the manuscript have the format 27 x 19.5 cm and 107 true-to-original miniatures are displayed throughout. The book cover is made out of soft red velvet. The commentary is dedicated to uniquely decorated miniatures and features a special interpretation of different points of attention.