The armies of Arthur and Lancelot in battle

Folder containing the facsimile of folio 211r of the French manuscript 112 (3), dated to 1470, and resident of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. The manuscript contains a narration of the events of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, in quest of the mythical Holy Grail. This superb codex features an unusual airiness in its layout on two columns, and above all boasts a rich exuberance of elegant decorative and illustrative elements, invented in a spirit of tireless variability which surprises and fascinates the reader. The illustrations were the work of a skilled workshop coordinated by Évrard d'Espinques, and focused especially on representing tournaments and battle scenes, offering not only the image of an idealised world of chivalry: it also implicitly directed a radical criticism towards the monarchical centralism of the French crown. Taken together, the text and images of this codex comprise a complete and fascinating narration of the Arthurian epic, one of the most famous and best loved medieval tales. Folio 211r, reproduced in facsimile, depicts the armies of Arthur and Lancelot fighting on the edge of a stream. In the distance, the castle of the Joyous Guard rears up.

2022; folder format: 32.6 x 45.4 cm; one-colour print in black and white on Natural Evolution white paper by Cordenons from gr. 320 / m2; facsimile sheet format: 31 x 44 cm; 5 colours plus gold hot stamping on Stucco parchment paper by Cartiere Fedrigoni from 190 gr/ m2