Bartholomaeus Anglicus (c. 1203-1272) [author]; Perrin Remiet (1386-1428) [artist]
THE AGES OF MAN, miniature from Le Livre des propriétés des choses [Paris, c. 1410]
A miniature from a luxurious copy of the translation made in 1372 by Jean Corbechon for Charles V of France of the popular encyclopedic text on The Properties of Things, composed c. 1245, that embodied man’s understanding of the natural world to aid comprehension of the Bible.

Perrin (Pierre) Remiet, documented in Paris from 1386 to 1428, was a favoured illuminator for the court of Charles VI during Paris’s greatest period as a centre of illumination (see François Avril, 'Trois manuscrits napolitains des collections de Charles V et du duc de Berry', Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes, 127, 1969, pp. 291-328; for a convincing refutation of Michael Camille's misleading identification of Remiet with the Maître de la mort and consequent attribution of Remiet’s work to Jean de Nizières, see R. and M. Rouse, Manuscripts and their Makers, Commercial Book Production in Medieval Paris 1200-1500, 2000, I, pp. 293-6, and II, pp. 79 and 115).

Remiet's successful style — a strong sense of line and shape yet with naturalistically modelled figures set against the patterned backgrounds — is demonstrated in this miniature which opened Book VI, on man, preceding the first chapter on the ages of man. The sagacity of old age is perhaps represented by the bent figure engaged in discussion with the first of four younger men. Two further miniatures from this dismembered copy are offered as lot 21; the miniature to Book V appeared at Dreweatts Bloomsbury Auctions, 8 July 2015 lot 53. As was usual for this text, the miniatures to the 19 or 20 Books were the width of one of the two columns of text written on each leaf.

Luxuriously illustrated copies were in demand and Remiet seems to have specialized in their production. He contributed to the copies owned by the Duke of Orléans (Paris, Bibl. Ste Geneviève ms 1028) and by Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (Brussels, KBR ms 9094), and to the copies sold at the Arcana Sale, Christie’s 7 July 2010, lot 31, and held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris (ms fr. 216). The detached miniatures develop designs first evident in the Arcana copy of c. 1390, presumably inspired by the lost presentation copy made for Charles V himself, and are absorbing witnesses to the patronage of an intellectually curious elite who accessed knowledge through French, not Latin, and through images of enduring appeal.

Provenance:
•The miniature comes from a manuscript made in Paris c. 1410, presumably for a member of the royal court.

99 x 85 mm. Vellum, on the reverse 17 lines in faded ink in a bastard hand. Mounted.

Please note this lot is the property of a private consignor.

Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.