Stowe 54 (Histoire ancienne)
Encyclopedia
British Library, Stowe 54 is a French illuminated manuscript
from the first quarter of the fifteenth century of the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César ("Ancient History up to Caesar"), a medieval historical compilation recounting tales of the ancient world, especially the Trojan War
, the conquests of Alexander the Great (particularly the Fall of Thebes), and the greatness of ancient Rome
.
The manuscript was copied in Paris from an earlier Neapolitan
exemplar illuminated by Cristoforo Orimina
, also held by the British Library (Royal 20 D I). The illustrations in this copy were provided by an unidentified illuminator from the Low Countries, working in Paris.
The manuscript forms part of the Stowe manuscripts
in the British Library
.
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
from the first quarter of the fifteenth century of the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César ("Ancient History up to Caesar"), a medieval historical compilation recounting tales of the ancient world, especially the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
, the conquests of Alexander the Great (particularly the Fall of Thebes), and the greatness of ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
The manuscript was copied in Paris from an earlier Neapolitan
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
exemplar illuminated by Cristoforo Orimina
Cristoforo Orimina
Cristoforo Orimina was an Italian illuminator of the 14th century. He was a painter at the court of Robert of Naples and of Joan I of Naples.The Orimini were a patrician family of Naples, belonging to the noble seggio of Capuana. The family's residence was in what is now the Via dei...
, also held by the British Library (Royal 20 D I). The illustrations in this copy were provided by an unidentified illuminator from the Low Countries, working in Paris.
The manuscript forms part of the Stowe manuscripts
Stowe manuscripts
The Stowe manuscripts are a collection of about 2000 Anglo-Saxon and later medieval manuscripts, nearly all now in the British Library. The manuscripts date from 1154 to the end of the 14th century....
in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
Sources
- Pamela Porter, Medieval Warfare in Manuscripts (London: British Library, 2000), p. 42.
External links
- British Library catalogue record
- Siege on a town, from Stowe 54, folio 83, at the Bridgeman Art LibraryBridgeman Art LibraryThe Bridgeman Art Library, based in London, Paris, New York and Berlin, provides one of the largest archives for reproductions of works of art in the world...
.