Alexander Exploring Underwater
Northern France, 1290s
Romance of Alexander
Tempera colors and gold on parchment
Leaf: 26 x 18.8 cm (10 1/4 x 7 3/8 in.)
Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett,
Ms. 78 C 1, fol. 67
Photo: Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz / Art Resource, NY
EX.2010.1.33
Imagining the Past in France, at the Getty Museum History played such an integral role in defining national identity in France throughout the high Middle Ages that some of the finest illumination of the period is located within the covers of history manuscripts
November 16, 2010 — February 6, 2011
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Source: Getty Museum
“Imagining the Past in France, 1250–1500” highlights one of the greatest chapters in the history of Frenchart and the development of the French nation, when heroic tales of bygone eras came to lifein lavish illuminated manuscripts. These images would allow the French to understand theirpresent and plan for their future by celebrating an epic past.
“Imagining the Past in France” is the first major exhibition devoted to the theme ofhistory in manuscripts, focusing on the use of images to enhance and influence the reader’sexperience of the text. This monumental exhibition brings together more than 70 objects fromthe collections of over 25 museums and libraries across Europe and the United States.
The main concepts of the exhibition are encapsulated in the first gallery through a few extraordinary examples of manuscripts made for powerful members of the aristocracy or royalty, including the famous Bible historiale of Charles V (The Hague, Museum Meermanno) and a copy of Pierre Salmon’s Dialogues, with a stunning frontispiece depicting Charles VI (Geneva, Bibliothèque de Genève).
The next three sections consider the different types of history popularized through illuminated manuscripts of the period: Ancient History, Christian History, and Medieval History. Because the modern conception of history differs quite drastically from the medieval, these sections will examine the visual construction of history in diverse texts in French, including bibles, romances, biographies, chronicles, and ancient and medieval histories. Highlights will include a lavish 13th-century book of Arthurian Romances (Morgan Library, New York), a lavish 14th-century copy of the Mirror of History featuring over 700 illuminations (Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek, and Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal), and a spectacular 15 th-century manuscript of Boccaccio’s Concerning the Fates of Illustrious Men and Women (Geneva, Bibliothèque de Genève).
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