Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Poème sur la Passion
France, Rouen, ca. 1530
MS M.147 fol. 24r

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Christ: Pieta -- Virgin Mary, nimbed, wearing wimpled veil, raises her left hand to breast, sits supporting with her right hand and lap body of Christ, cross-nimbed with rays, eyes closed, head inclined, wearing short loin cloth, bleeding from wounds in head, hands, side and feet, flanked by Evangelist John, nimbed, partly kneeling, and Mary Magdalen, nimbed, with joined hands raised, kneeling beside ointment jar on ground. All before tau-cross with two nails visible in arms, surmounted by titulus inscribed INRI from John 19:19. Scene in landscape with city in background. Framed text block of 15 lines is suspended from tree branch over path with arbor and foliage in foreground. Trees and foliage forming arch over scene; miniature within architectural frame.