Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Cas des nobles hommes et femmes malheureux
France, probably Tours, ca. 1480
MS G.35 fol. 1r

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Seven scenes in continuous narrative:
1) Adam and Eve: blessed by God and Eve: given to Adam by God -- Christ-Logos, with crossed nimbus and right hand raised in blessing, with left hand joins right hands of Adam and Eve, both nude, flanking Him. Scene in Garden of Eden enclosed by crenellated wall.
2) Adam and Eve: Fall of Man -- Adam and Eve, both nude and covering themselves, hold fruit in right hand. They stand flanking fruit tree around which is twined human-headed serpent. Scene in Garden of Eden.
3) Adam and Eve: Expulsion -- Angel, with sword raised in right hand, standing in pinnacled gate of Garden of Eden, drives Adam and Eve away.
4) Eve: suckling Abel, and Adam: at Labor -- Eve, with name inscribed, clothed and wearing kerchief, seated at entry to shed, nurses nude infant Abel; beside her plays (?) nude infant Cain. Adam, with name inscribed, digs plot of ground with spade.
5) Adam and Eve: mourning for Abel -- Adam, with joined hands raised, and Eve, holding distaff and spindle and wiping her eyes with her head scarf, both with names inscribed, stand beside bleeding body of Abel, with name inscribed, laying on ground beside jawbone.
6) Lamech: slaying Man -- Man (?), stands behind Lamech, with name inscribed, holding bow in left hand, before Cain, with name inscribed, holding jawbone in right hand, with arrow piercing his breast.
7) Boccaccio, wearing cap, with name inscribed, sits on carved chair beneath arch and writes with pen held in right hand on open book on carved desk. Before him stand Adam and Eve, both elderly and holding crutches and with names inscribed.
Margins with floreate and ivy-rinceaux ornament.