Before and after: Rough draft

The artist did an oversize sketch before historiating the J of Jacob:

Epistulae canonicae cum glosa. In septem epistulas canonicas, Hieronymi Prologus
Source: gallica.bnf.fr

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Latin 14789, fol. 2v.

Here’s the final version. Is that a peacock at Jacob’s feet?

Epistulae canonicae cum glosa. In septem epistulas canonicas, Hieronymi Prologus
Source: gallica.bnf.fr

And here’s the bottom of the same J where the peacock is attacked by a wolf:

Epistulae canonicae cum glosa. In septem epistulas canonicas, Hieronymi Prologus
Source: gallica.bnf.fr

4 Responses to "Before and after: Rough draft"

Catanea says:

March 12, 2014 at 6:54 am

Are you positive that the original artist did an oversized sketch? I can’t really see whether the drawing’s lines (silverpoint?) pass above or below the ruling.
In MS I where I have seen similar things, my impression is most often that some idler (?) has tried to copy the illustration in a bit of “blank space”.
Certainly the line quality and the character of the face in the “sketch” are nothing like the mastery shown in the actual painting.
?

Reply
1. jesse says:
  
  March 12, 2014 at 9:20 am
  
  I suspect that without microscopic investigation, there’s no real way to tell whether the sketch pre- or post-dates the finished painting. I don’t think the ruling is much help since illustration usually comes after the ruling and the text anyway. The description of the manuscript by the BN calls the drawing a “dessin préparatoire,” which is why I treated it as a preliminary sketch, but I agree that it could also be a doodle after the fact.
  
  I am intrigued by the difference in scale and by the differences between the two images. It seems to me that if someone were copying the painting, the posture of the head, the tonsure, etc. would likely be more similar to the original, hence, I see an element of creativity in the sketch. It’s an interesting problem and invites us to consider even further the almost philosophical question that the manuscript as a whole raises of the relationship between text and gloss.
  
  Reply
  1. Catanea says:
    
    March 16, 2014 at 3:49 pm
    
    Indeed – I can also testify that when copying from an illumination/illustration of a person with a tilted head, there is a very strong tendency to straighten it up a bit. And the sketch is straighter.
    [I am very, very irritated to learn that in order to get an official French qualification in illumination, you must be judged on your ability to trace {presumably from a reproduction – we don’t put tracing paper over manuscripts, do we?}. I was considering doing it – qualifications can be useful to have – but as I don’t allow my students to trace, and don’t trace myself, why would I want to learn to? Sorry: hobby horse.]
    I doubt whether the person who wrote “dessin préparatoire” knew any more than you do…
    
    Reply
    1. Catanea says:
      
      March 16, 2014 at 3:51 pm
      
      Funny – my html coded “italics” for “trace” didn’t format…sorry.
      
      Reply

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