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This miniature appears in a manuscript known as Madame Marie's picture book, a text produced around 1285 in France. The book was created for an aristocratic woman; some theorize that woman is Marie de Rethel, the third wife and widow of Waultier d'Enghien. The book is particularly fascinating because it features 87 full page miniatures representing the life of Christ and the stories of saints. It also included various depictions of the book’s original owner, typically kneeling before various saints in a position of piety. Most of these depictions were later painted over probably when the book came into Cistercian hands. Nonetheless, the depictions provide insight into the patron's power over the content of the manuscript and also her devotion to the depicted saints and her intimate connection to the book as a whole.
The illumination depicts Saint Nicasius and Saint Eutropia of Rheims. Saint Nicasius was a celebrated bishop of Rheims during the 5th century. He was beheaded when an army of Vandals from Germany attacked Rheims (while they were ravaging that part of Gaul). Nicasius had foreseen the Vandals' attack and was slain while encouraging townsfolk to trust in God. Before being slain, he recited Psalm CXIX, and was beheaded while reciting the verse “I am laid low in the dust”. It is said that his severed head completed the verse; “Preserve my life according to your word.” As a result of his beheading, Nicasius has been widely classified and depicted as a cephalophore, a martyred saint carrying his or her severed head.
St. Eutropia was the virgin sister of St. Nicasius. She was also present during the Vandals' attack and witnessed the slaughter of her brother and his companions, St. Florentius and St. Jucundus. The Vandals chose to keep Saint Eutropia alive because of her beauty, but Eutropia decided upon a different fate. She attacked her brother’s killer, attempting to claw out his eyes while kicking and scratching him until they took her life too. For her actions, St. Eutropia is remembered as a martyr.
While Saint Eutropia is often swept to the margins (or entirely ignored) in the story of St. Nicasius’ beheading, the Madame Marie picture book gives her a remarkably prominent position in the tale. While the image does depict Saint Eutropia standing behind Saint Nicasius, her size, stature, and action give her great importance in the image. Furthermore, her expression is drawn with great care, portraying piety and strength. Additionally, her peaceful expression suggests a holy transcendence above pain and suffering. The focus on Saint Eutropia is in large part due to the book being created for Madame Marie. The book features a series of 11 female saints, a noteworthy number for the time period; this indicates that these saints (including St. Eutropia) likely had personal significance to Madame Marie herself.