Details

Standardized Title:

De casibus virorum illustrium. French (Middle French). Selections

Subjects:

Phaedra (Greek mythological character) -- In literature.
Theseus, King of Athens -- In literature.

Form/Genre:

Fragments (object portions)
Illuminations.
Translations (documents)
Manuscripts, French.
Manuscripts, Medieval.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Language:

In Middle French.

Summary:

Partial leaf from a mid-15th century copy of Laurent de Premerfait's second translation of Boccaccio's De casibus virorum illustrium, from the chapter on Theseus (10.1-17), beginning with the rubric Le Xe chappitre contient le cas de Theseus, roy dathenes, Et commence ou latin Athene. Written in lettre bâtarde by a single hand in France, possibly Paris, in 2 columns, bottom of the leaf missing, 48 lines extant out of approximately 60, frame-ruled in lead. Decorated on the recto with an unfinished (outlines and touches of color) 26-line miniature depicting the suicide of Phaedra in the larger upper section and Theseus in exile in Cyprus in the smaller lower section; a border of flowers, acanthus leaves, and gold ivy leaves above the left column and an unfinished (gold leaves only) border on the left side of the left column; and a 5-line initial in pink on gold ground.

Local notes:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.

Penn Provenance:

Sold at auction at Christie's, 3 June 1998, lot 11, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.
Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2012.
Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2021.

Cited as:

Oversize LJS 255

Contributor:

Laurent, de Premierfait, -1418, translator.
Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

OCLC:

829862908

Web link:

The Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative Fund Home Page