Add MS 19992

This manuscript was probably part of a Psalter and contains a series of images illustrating the life of Joseph. This is the third of three series of images: the first series would have depicted the life of Christ and the second the Acts of the Apostles. Two further leaves illustrated by the same artist and probably from the same Psalter have been identified by Pächt and Alexander (Bodleian Library, 1966): the first, from the life of Christ series, is described in Alan G. Thomas, Fine Books Catalogue, 12 (1963), no. 8 and the second, from the Acts of the Apostles series (life of St Paul), is a leaf inserted in a printed book, now Bodleian Auct. 7Q inf. 2.9.

Contents:

ff. 1v-18v: Full page images each divided into three or four compartments illustrating the life of Joseph up to the burial of Jacob; each illustration is numbered with a roman numeral (I to LXXII) and accompanied by a rubric in French describing the episode depicted. The series is imperfect: two folios are lacking, containing the illustrations numbered LVIII-LXI (58-61) and LXXIV-LXXVIII (74-78).

The rectos in this manuscript are blank.

Decoration:

18 full-page images in colours and gold on diapered grounds with frames in blue, rose and gold with foliate decoration. Initials and numerals in blue and red with penwork decoration.

The subjects of the miniatures are as follows:

f. 1v: Jacob gives a coat to his son; Joseph dreams of his eleven brothers with eleven sheaves of corn bowing to him; Joseph dreams of the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing to him; Joseph tells his dream to his mother, father and brothers.

f. 2v: Joseph's father sends him to his brothers who are with their sheep in the field; Joseph meets his brothers; the brothers put Joseph in a well; the brothers who are eating bread see Egyptian merchants riding towards them.

f. 3v: The brothers sell Joseph to the merchants for 30 deniers; they kill a goat and put blood on Joseph's coat; they take the coat to their father, who is distressed; the merchants sell Joseph to the chamberlain of the Pharaoh.

f. 4v: The wife of the chamberlain pulls Joseph's cloak, and he flees; the wife complains to the chamberlain about Joseph; Joseph is put in the Pharaoh's prison; the Pharaoh's cupbearer and the baker are put in prison with Joseph.

f. 5v: The cup-bearer dreams of making wine from three branches of grapes for the Pharaoh; Joseph with his fellow prisoners, interpreting this dream; the baker dreams that he brings three baskets of bread but the crows eat them; Joseph and his fellow prisoners, interpreting this dream.

f. 6v: The cup-bearer serving wine to the Pharaoh; the baker is hanged; the Pharaoh dreams of the seven fatted and seven lean calves beside the Nile.

f. 7v: The Pharaoh dreams of seven plump and seven thin ears of grain; the Pharaoh commands his wise men to interpret the dream; the cupbearer tells the Pharaoh about Joseph; Joseph is taken from prison to the Pharaoh.

f. 8v: Joseph interprets the Pharaoh's dreams; the Pharaoh gives Joseph robes and a ring; Joseph is driven throughout Egypt in a chariot and the people revere him.

f. 9v: The Pharaoh marries Joseph to Assenech (Asenath) the daughter of Futiphar (Potiphar the priest); Joseph rides out to supervise the harvest throughout Egypt; Joseph has the grain threshed and winnowed; the grain is carried in sacks to be stored in silos.

f. 10v: Joseph's wife has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim; hungry people ask the Pharaoh for food; Joseph sells the grain to the people; Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain, keeping Benjamin at home.

f. 11v: The ten brothers kneel to Joseph and ask for grain; Joseph has them put in prison, saying they are spies; on the third day Joseph has his brothers released from prison; one of the brothers tells the others they must suffer for the sin towards their brother.

f. 12v: Joseph cries secretly beside his brothers; Joseph has Simeon taken prisoner; Joseph has his brothers' sacks filled with grain; he has their money placed in the sacks.

f. 13v: A brother opens his sack and finds the money; they tell Jacob what they saw in Egypt; they empty their sacks and find the money with the grain; Jacob sends his sons back with Benjamin, the money and gifts.

f. 14v: The brothers bring Benjamin before Joseph; Joseph has his brothers taken to an inn and has a meal prepared; the brothers are taken to the inn; Joseph comes to them and they give him the fruits of their country.

f. 15v: Joseph speaks to Benjamin; Joseph weeps in his bed; Joseph is alone at his table, with the Egyptians and his brothers at separate tables.

f. 16v: Joseph embraces Benjamin and reveals his identity to the others; the Pharaoh has the brothers' sacks filled and provides them with garments and donkeys; Jacob's sons bring him news of Joseph; God appears to Jacob beside the well.

f. 17v: Joseph is reunited with his father; Joseph presents all his family to the Pharaoh; Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons; Joseph blesses all his sons.

f. 18v: Joseph embraces the dying Jacob; the brothers take Jacob in a carriage back to Canaan; the burial of Jacob; the sons return to Egypt with the carriage.