Book of Images of Madame Marie
The Book of Images of Madame Marie, also called Images of the Life of Christ and the Saints, is an illuminated manuscript, dated around 1285, preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (NAF 16251). It contains 87 full-page miniatures painted by two artists in Brabant or Hainaut, perhaps in Cambrai. It was probably commissioned by Marie de Rethel.
The book was painted around 1285 probably in Cambrai. It was commissioned by Marie de Rethel (died in 1315), who is represented as a nun on several occasions at the feet of saints. She is the daughter of Manassès V of Rethel and the wife of Gautier d'Enghien, with whom she married in 1266, who is the cousin of Sohier d'Enghien, castellan of Mons from 1290 to 1311. The couple resides in this same city. The lady is known in her time for several donations to ecclesiastical institutions in the region. She also ordered a translation of Liber de Monstruosis by Thomas de Cantimpré, now also at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Fr.15106). When she died in 1315, she was buried at Cambron Abbey.
After his death or perhaps before, the manuscript was given to a Cistercian abbey, the abbey of Cambron or the female abbey of Beaupré. It was undoubtedly at this time that the figure of the donor was covered with paint on the miniatures1. Several subsequent owners leave their names as ex-libris in the work on folio 106: in the 17th century, “Margrit Angelic d'Oÿenbrüghe de Duras”, canoness at the abbey of Munsterbilzen, near Maastricht; in 1673, to Pierre Van Lierde who lived on rue des Herminet in Arras. The manuscript contains a letter pasted at the end of the volume signed Lazare Carnot dated February 20, 1813. He indicates that he donated the book to his sister Jeanne-Pierrette Carnot in memory of his recently deceased wife and former owner of the manuscript. On folio 106, it is also indicated that “This book belongs to Jeanne-Pierrette Carnot, hospital [sister] in Nolay. This May 2, 1813.” His portrait appears in a medallion on folio 1 verso. Subsequently, it is indicated that A. Dupont Carnot donated it to his daughter Fély Bertrand in Autun, on December 29, 1828, it finally belonged to François Carnot in 18972. It was acquired by the National Library of France between 1969 and 1971 through an exchange
The manuscript begins with a calendar (f.1-12v.) following the Cistercian rite, which probably recalls the order of the master of conscience or confessor of the sponsor. It is followed by a list of the captions of the images in the manuscript (f.13-17v) then all 87 full-page miniatures on parchment leaves (f.18-104). These are scenes from the life of Christ and litanies of saints. The latter are chosen in particular according to the geographical origins of the sponsor. The latter was represented at the foot of ten of them: Michael, John the Baptist, Paul, John the Evangelist, James the Great, Christopher, Francis, Catherine, Marguerite (now lost) and Agnes. It has been erased everywhere except at the foot of Jacques.
The miniatures are attributed to two artists. The principal is completely anonymous and this is his only attributed work. He probably worked on monumental works such as frescoes or stained glass panels. His assistant was identified with Maître Henri, an illuminator who also painted a compendium of the Bestiary of Richard de Fournival, small initials in a Lives of saints dated 1285 (BNF, Fr.412) and numerous other manuscripts
This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.
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