Instructions to Artists
Artists' Techniques
The instructions were inscribed within the background areas, specifying what colour or pattern they should be painted: ‘rot’ and ‘root’ (‘red’ in German and Middle Dutch respectively, fols. 163r and 174r), ‘himel’ (‘sky’ in German, fols. 166v and 247v), and a phrase which appears to include the word ‘bos’ (‘bouquet of flowers’ in Middle Dutch, fol. 104r). This may refer to the background’s white lilies, the patron’s emblem. It was standard practice for illuminators to paint backgrounds first, before filling in the figures and other components of a given miniature. Often the less demanding task of painting the backgrounds was assigned to assistants, as in this case. The Mazarine Master must have written the instructions for his German- or Dutch-speaking assistants while designing the miniatures.
Eagle, swan, griffon and rooster (Book 12: On birds)
The eagle, swan and rooster are depicted realistically, alongside a mythical griffon with a blue head and blue and white wings.
Infrared imaging reveals the word ‘rot’ (‘red’ in German), hidden beneath the red background of the miniature (see Infrared Layer). Written by the Mazarine Master, this instruction served to inform his assistants how to complete that portion of the miniature. The same word has been detected underneath the paint layers in the background of the miniature on fol. 163r. Similar instructions have not been found beneath the paint layers of the plain red grounds in the manuscript (e.g. fol. 296v), suggesting, perhaps, that the word ‘rot’ was used to indicate this particular pattern of red scrolls of acanthus on a slightly darker red ground.