Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 3006
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Walters , Lori J.
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Female Figures in the Illustrated Manuscripts of "Le conte du Graal" and its "Continuations": Ladies, Saints, Spectators, Mediators [the author argues that the authors, illuminators, scribes, and others who contributed to the text displayed differing interpretations of female characters depending in large part whether the story was considered a romance, a hagiography, or a combination of the two].
  • Source: Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester 81, 3 (Autumn 1999): Pages 7 - 54.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Journal Article
  • Subject (See Also): Art History- Painting Arthurian Literature Blanchefleur (Literary Figure) Chretien de Troyes, Poet- Perceval ou le Conte du Graal Conte du Graal Continuations, French Romances Iconography Illumination of Manuscripts Romance, Literary Genre Women in Art
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: France
  • Century: 13- 14
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations: Thirty-three illustrations. From manuscript collection and location of preceding figure unless otherwise noted. Figure One A weeping Blanchefleur comes up to Perceval's bed (Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médecine, MS H 249, fol. 13v). Figure Two Perceval meditates on the three drops of blood in the snow (Montpellier, fol. 27v). Figure Three Perceval views the Bleeding Lance in the Fisher King's Castle (Montpellier, fol. 21v). Figure Four Gauvain's first visit to the Grail Castle where a young maiden brought in a lance (Montpellier, fol. 68v). Figure Five Perceval takes leave of Blanchefleur (Montpellier, fol. 174r). Figure Six Multi-compartment miniature shows Perceval on his knees before a group of knights whom he mistakes for angels; his arrival at Arthur's court; and his slaying of the Chevalier Vermeil, who wields the cup he had stolen from Arthur (Bibliothèque Nationale de France,MS fr. 12576, fol. 1r). Figure Seven Perceval, dressed as a cleric, kneels before a woman who holds the Grail (BNF, fol. 261r). Figure Eight Perceval on horseback muses over the blood drops in the presence of Gauvain (BNF fol. 19r). Figure Nine Perceval on horseback stands before his hermit uncle (BNF, fol. 25r). Figure Ten Perceval takes leave of Blanchefleur in an historiated initial (BNF, fol. 180r). Figure Eleven Perceval rides up to the hermit in an historiated initial (BNF, fol. 193r). Figure Twelve Arthur marries his niece Ysave to King Carados of Nantes (BNF, fol. 49r). Figure Thirteen Ysave, imprisoned in a tower, is embraced by Elïavrés with whom she had an illegitimate son (BNF, fol. 60r). Figure Fourteen Gauvain is in bed with Bloeiseine who wants to kill him because he has murdered her brother (BNF, fol. 201v). Figure Fifteen Perceval holds Bloeiseine by the hair and threatens to kill her (BNF, fol. 208v). Figure Sixteen Perceval is alone in bed on his last visit to Biaurepaire (Mons, Bibliothèque Universitaire et Publique, MS 331/206, p. 426). Figure Seventeen The Grail appears to cure Perceval and Hector in an historiated initial (Mons, p. 474). Figure Eighteen A multi-compartment initial shows Perceval's mother saying farewell to her son in the upper register; beneath she falls to the ground (BNF, MS fr. 12577, fol. 1r). Figure Nineteen Perceval comes upon a procession of penitents, all of whom are women (BNF, fol. 36r). Figure Twenty In the left register Perceval's sister shows him their mother's bier; in the right register Perceval confesses to his hermit uncle (BNF, fol. 169r). Figure Twenty-one In the left register Perceval confronts the Biau Mauvais and his ugly lady; in the right register the knights fight with lances (BNF, fol. 165r). Figure Twenty-two Perceval's second visit to the Grail Castle where two youths enter carrying the Grail and the sacred lance ((BNF, fol. 213v). Figure Twenty-three An angel appears to cure the wounded warriors (BNF, fol. 265v). Figure Twenty-four Blanchefleur comes to Perceval's bed to ask that he defend her (BNF, MS fr. 1453, fol. 14r). Figure Twenty-five Blanchefleur and another woman welcome Perceval back to Biaurepaire after his successful battle with Engygeron (BNF, fol. 16r). Figure Twenty-six Two women watch Gauvain battle another knight (BNF, fol. 39r). Figure Twenty-seven A woman registers dismay at her knight's unhorsing (BNF, fol. 60r). Figure Twenty-eight Clamadieu turns himself in to Arthur's court while Guinevere watches from the battlements (BNF, fol. 20r). Figure Twenty-nine Lore tells Guinevere about the pain that Gauvain's absence causes (BNF, fol. 65v). Figure Thirty Arthur faints because of his worries over Gauvain (Montpellier, Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médicine, MS H 249, fol. 59r). Figure Thirty-one Guinevere makes peace between Kay and another knight (BNF, MS r. 1453, fol. 193v). Figure Thirty-two Arthur settles a dispute between Gauvain and Brandelis (BNF, MS fr. 1453, fol. 103v). Figure Thirty-three The Fisher King crowns Perceval (BNF, MS fr. 1453, fol. 288v).
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  • Author's Affiliation: Florida State University
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 1999.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: Not Available