Durham E-Theses Reading Narrative Images: Visual Literacy in Medieval Romance Texts and Illuminated Manuscripts DOW, ANNA,ELIZABETH How to cite: DOW, ANNA,ELIZABETH (2017) Reading Narrative Images: Visual Literacy in Medieval Romance Texts and Illuminated Manuscripts, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/12113/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 READING NARRATIVE IMAGES: VISUAL LITERACY IN MEDIEVAL ROMANCE TEXTS AND ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS Anna Dow Ph.D. Thesis Department of English Studies Durham University 2016 Abstract This study examines the instructive aspects of visual material in medieval romance texts and their illuminated manuscripts. Medieval romance contains an extensive array of visual references, and the present discussion focuses on the phenomenology of these episodes: depictions of the aesthetic and intellectual aftereffects of sight, and the imagination at work. Such instances are often related within the text to the act of reading itself, and through them the author encourages correct and effective practices of reading. In romance texts the characters often struggle to interpret such signs, sometimes with disastrous consequences, and their reactions in turn become lessons for the reader. The first section of the discussion focuses on romance texts, and particularly on depictions of image-crafting, the imagination at work, and the recognition and interpretation of visual signs. The discussion in the second section concentrates on illuminated romance manuscripts, and examines the authorial perspectives expressed through narrative illustration. The visual material of medieval romance is largely concerned with communication, and the didactic conversation that occurs between author and reader is implicit within the romance text. This study therefore demonstrates that the visual material in medieval romance narratives often has a practical function: to establish a dialogue between the author and reader, and sometimes the limner and reader, concerning good reading practices. READING NARRATIVE IMAGES: VISUAL LITERACY IN MEDIEVAL ROMANCE TEXTS AND ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS Anna Dow Ph.D. Thesis Department of English Studies Durham University 2016 CONTENTS List of Illustrations vii Statement of Copyright xiii Acknowledgements xv 1. Introduction: Reading Text and Images in Medieval Romance Texts and 1 Illuminated Manuscripts Section I: Romance Texts 27 2. Optics in Medieval Thought and Literature 29 3. The Crafted Image: Nigromancers, Ymageoures and Authors 56 4. Inner Sight: Dreams, Memory and Book-Learning 80 5. Recognising the Visual Signs of Medieval Romance 106 6. Reading Images and the (In)ability to Interpret Visual Signs in the Middle 139 English Melusine Section II: Illuminated Manuscripts 165 7. Perfecting Sequential Narratives in French Romance Illuminations 167 8. Visual Intertextuality and Narrative Engagement in English Romance 198 Illuminations 9. Perspective and Interpretation in the Illuminated Mélusine Manuscripts 240 10. Conclusion: The Contemporary Life of Pictorial Narratives 280 Bibliography 313 v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1.1 Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Vindobonensis 1857, 17 fols 14v–15r. 1.2 Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Vindobonensis 1857, 17 fol. 43v. 1.3 London, British Library, King’s 9, fol. 53v. 20 1.4 London, British Library, King’s 9, fol. 36v. 20 1.5 London, British Library, King’s 9, fol. 93v. 20 7.1 The Hague, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 120 D 13, fols 3v–4r. 171 7.2 Paris, BnF fr. 25526, fol. 6r. 171 7.3 Paris, BnF fr. 25526, fol. 106v. 175 7.4 Paris, BnF fr. 25526, fol. 77v. 175 7.5 Paris, BnF fr. 12577, fol. 74v. 178 7.6 London, British Library, Additional 42130, fol. 208r. 178 7.7 Paris, BnF fr. 25526, fol. 6r. 179 7.8 Paris, BnF fr. 1560, fol. 10v. 179 7.9 Paris, BnF fr. 1433, fol. 69v. 182 7.10 Paris, BnF fr. 1560, fol. 1r. 182 7.11 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3339, fol. 1r. 184 7.12 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 39v. 187 7.13 Paris, BnF fr. 357, fol. 241r. 189 7.14 Paris, BnF fr. 103, fol. 1r. 192 vii 7.15 Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Vindobonensis 2597, 194 fol. 2r. 7.16 Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Vindobonensis 2597, 194 fol. 5v. 8.1 London, British Library, Additional 25588, fol. 109v. 204 8.2 London, British Library, Royal 1 E IX, fol. 3v 204 8.3 London, British Library, Cotton Nero A X, art.3, fol. 90v. 207 8.4 London, British Library, Cotton Nero A X, art.3, fol. 38r. 207 8.5 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. 264, fol. 213v. 209 8.6 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodl. 264, fol. 218r. 209 8.7 Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates’ 19.2.1, fol. 326r. 212 8.8 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Eng. Poet. a. 1, fol. 125v. 212 8.9 Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 61, fol. 1v. 216 8.10 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Arch.Seld.B.24, fol. 1r. 216 8.11 London, British Library, Harley 326, fol. 29v. 218 8.12 London, British Library, Harley 326, fol. 108v. 218 8.13 London, British Library, Harley 2278, fol. 98v. 220 8.14 London, British Library, Royal 18 D II, fol. 148r. 220 8.15 London, British Library, Harley 1766, fol. 13r. 222 8.16 London, British Library, Harley 1766, fol. 28r. 222 8.17 Manchester, Rylands English 1, fol. 21r. 225 8.18 London, British Library, Harley 3869, fol. 5r. 225 8.19 San Marino, Huntington Library, EL 26 C 9, fol. 10r. 228 viii 8.20 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Douce 104, fol. 31r. 228 8.21 London, British Library, Yates Thompson 13, fol. 11r. 231 8.22 Baltimore, Walters W.102, fol. 81r. 231 8.23 Oxford, Bodleian Library, Canon. Misc. 110, fol. 51v. 233 8.24 London, British Library, Royal 2 C X, fol. 1r. 233 8.25 Cambridge, Trinity College B.5.4, fol. 33v. 234 8.26 Durham, Cathedral Library, C.I.17 B, fol. 184r. 234 8.27 London, British Library, Arundel 38, fol. 65r. 236 9.1 Chantilly, Musée Condé 65, fol. 3v. 242 9.2 Chantilly, Musée Condé 65, fol. 3v. 242 9.3 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 45v. 245 9.4 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 16r. 245 9.5 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 139v. 247 9.6 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 130r. 247 9.7 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 4v. 249 9.8 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 18r. 249 9.9 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 22v. 249 9.10 London, British Library, Harley 4418, fol. 17r. 252 9.11 London, British Library, Harley 4418, fol. 43v. 252 9.12 London, British Library, Harley 4418, fol. 214v. 252 9.13 Paris, BnF fr. 1485, fol. 128r. 255 9.14 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 155v. 255 9.15 Paris, BnF fr. 1485, fol. 125r. 256 ix 9.16 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 152r. 256 9.17 Paris, BnF fr. 1485, fol. 10r. 257 9.18 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 10v. 257 9.19 Paris, BnF fr. 1485, fol. 86r. 259 9.20 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 99r. 259 9.21 Paris, BnF fr. 1485, fol. 88v. 260 9.22 Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal 3353, fol. 102r. 260 9.23 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 8r. 262 9.24 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 26v. 262 9.25 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 42v. 263 9.26 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 69r. 263 9.27 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 86r. 265 9.28 Paris, BnF fr. 12575, fol. 89r. 265 9.29 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 4r. 267 9.30 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 5v. 267 9.31 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 7r. 268 9.32 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 19r. 268 9.33 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 24v. 269 9.34 Paris, BnF fr. 24383, fol. 30r. 269 9.35 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. Ms 4028, fol. 50r. 272 9.36 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. 4028, fol. 34v. 272 9.37 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. 4028, fol. 12r. 272 9.38 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. 4028, fol. 71v. 274 x 9.39 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. 4028, fol. 73r. 274 9.40 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. 4028, fol. 74r. 274 9.41 Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, GC 365, fol. 65v. 276 9.42 Paris, BnF RLR RES Y2-400, 12, fol. 156v. 276 9.43 Paris, BnF RLR RES M-Y2-31, fol. 42v. 276 9.44 Nuremberg, Nat. Mus. Ms 4028, fol. 65r. 277 9.45 Paris, BnF RLR RES M-Y2-31, fol. 30r. 277 9.46 Paris, BnF RLR RES M-Y2-31, fol. 48v. 277 10.1 Hablot Knight Browne, illustration for Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two 282 Cities. 10.2 William Boucher, illustration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped. 282 10.3 Aubrey Beardsley, illustration for Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur. 283 10.4 John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott.