Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Book of Hours
France, Rouen, ca. 1480
MS M.131 fol. 73r

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Miniature:
David: communicating with God -- David, with joined hands raised, wearing vair lined cloak, kneels looking up toward bust of God, nimbed, raising right hand, amid rays in arc of Heaven. Angel, raising sword, hovers amid rays. Facing David is Gad the Seer (?), wearing hat, indicating David with right hand, and looking up toward God. Behind David is canopied throne on which is harp. Crown is next to him on floor.
Scene in roofless room with decorated wall, windows, and tile floor and landscape with hills and trees.
Margin, right:
1) David: slinging at Goliath -- Goliath, wearing helmet and armor, his head bleeding, kneels on one knee. At right, David, wearing hat, raises right arm. He holds pedum (?) with left hand.
Scene in landscape with trees, sheep and tents in background.
2) David and Bathsheba: Bathsheba bathing -- Bathsheba, nude, stands in stream. At right in window, David, crowned, holding scepter with left hand looks toward another man looking through window. In foreground two women sit, one with garment on lap, the other, wearing hennin, holds box on lap.
Margin, lower, right to left:
1) Absalom: Death -- Joab, wearing armor and helmet, holding shield with left hand and lance under right arm is astride horse galloping toward Absalom, hanging in tree by his hair, his breast pierced by the lance. Two other soldiers astride horses, one holding shield and lance, the other with lance, are at left.
Scene in landscape with trees and hill in background.
2) Legend, Trojan War: Judgment of Paris? -- Paris (?) wearing armor and helmet reclines at base of fountain decorated with lion heads, resting his head on his right hand, looking up toward man, wearing cap, holding scepter with right hand. Behind the man stand three nude women, possibly Juno (Hera), Minerva (Athena) and Venus (Aphrodite), one holding gold object, possibly apple (apple of discord) in raised right hand. Horse stands behind fountain.
Scene in landscape with trees beneath blue sky.