An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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We're all familiar with the Lancelot of the Lake (c.,1446, Codex Palatino 556) illustrations attributed to Bembo that closely resemble the style of the CY - this seems to be from the same vein of Filippo's court's interest in that medieval subject. As much as classical subject matter was coming to the fore in the early/mid-Quattrocento (e.g. Marziano's Ovidian/Boccaccio-inspired deck), the CY is more singularly Christian, in line with "Grail quest" salvation themes (certainly the "cups" suits are always drawn in a grail-evocative manner; and the "World" card's lone knight arriving towards the maiden, with monks on a boat interceding certainly seems "Arthurian"). The two interests - classical mythology and medieval tropes - were by no means favored one over the other, nor even always separated from one another - but again, one seeks in vain for a clear classical influence on the CY outside of Amor/Cupido (the cardinal virtues are of course derived from classical philosophers, but not classical mythology - and at all events combined with the theologicals to form a seemingly Christian series as a whole). Yet Cupid would indeed be the point of intersection with Marziano.

The work in question is a Historia Angliae (a mythical history of England featuring Arthurian themes), its dedication illumination being of Galasso da Correggio offering the manuscript to Filippo Visconti, the miniature attributed to Giovanni Zenoni da Vaprio (BnF Lat 6041D). Different members of the Corregio family (namely a later painter) have been discussed here before, but this Galasso was a member of Filippo's privy council. The primary scholar researching this Galasso is Alessandra Malanca; e.g., see her “Le armi e le lettere: Galasso da Correggio, autore dell’Historia Anglie”, Italia medioevale e umanistica, 48, 2007: 1-57.

Information I was able to cobble together on-line (bad Italian translations follow): The lesser-known Galasso (ca. 1368-1442) fought for a long time to defend the autonomy of the Correggio domain from Filippo Maria Visconti, who, however, approached after 1420. The point of arrival of their reconciliation was the selection of Correggio to the committee (privy council?), commissioned in 1433 by the Duke of Milan in favor of Galasso and his brother Giberto. In the same years, probably in gratitude, Galasso dedicated a Historia Anglie to Filippo Maria, currently preserved by three manuscripts: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, lat. 6041 D (XV century); Palermo, Municipal Library, 2 Qq C 102 (XV century); Correggio, Municipal Library, ms. 33 (XVIII century). The work narrates in Latin prose the history of the first English sovereigns, going back to the roots of the Brittany material (Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gervasio di Tilbury) to try to extract from the Arthurian truth from the legend, in contrast with the fables spread thanks to fictional literature . The cultural portrait of Galasso that emerges is interesting: first a reader of French novels according to the lordly custom, then a scholar of the humanities, to whom he approached at a mature age, as his contacts with Pier Candido Decembrio and Francesco Oca also demonstrate.

From the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Correggio (at the Museum) one finds a document that dates very close to the Bianca and Sforza wedding, and is notarized in the town in which Bianca was raised, Abbiategrasso:
E, 242: 1441 October 26, Abbiategrasso. The Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti, appointed his adviser Corradino da Vimercate as a prosecutor (surely appointed representative is meant here), sells to Galasso da Correggio the Castelnovo di Sotto with the villas of San Savino , Campegine, Meletole, Cogruzzo, Praticello and Fesso, for the price of twelve thousand florins.

It is tempting to link this purchase by an elite so close in time to the wedding as a wedding gift to the father (the landholdings perhaps bought at a premium), especially given the context of Abbiategrasso (Filippo in turn of course made a substantial dowry to Sforza; perhaps these were properties previously gifted to Bianca for an income and then exchanged once the much more substantial cities of Cremona and Pontremoli were given to her and Sforza?). We have a proposed date above of 1433 for the manuscript in connection with a reaffirmation of existing Correggio holdings; so that would mean the illumination preceded the CY (based on my assumption of it being tied to the October 1441 wedding) by a mere 8 years and might have served as a model on how to depict Filippo or at least a Visconti ruler (always idealized and never true to life, not in the CY nor in this illumination at all events). There is a loose resemblance between the kneeling Galasso and diminutive servant as well as the seated "Kings" in both the manuscript and the CY King of Cups, especially in the odd headdress (of course the dedication scene was very stereotypical). Also noteworthy is that Visconti is associated with the coin and cup/"grail" suits in the CY, thus this king of cups - albeit bearded - would signify his line (perhaps the bearded Gian Galeazzo, Filippo's predecessor) . Both works presented side by side below:

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Phaeded
Last edited by Phaeded on 27 Jul 2019, 22:12, edited 1 time in total.

Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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Ross G. R. Caldwell wrote: 27 Jul 2019, 22:08 Phaeded, screw Getty. Get it from the source.

Hang on a minute

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b ... %20angliae

vue 34 - folio 8ter v

It illustrates the back cover of the new edition of the Tractatus.


http://www.rosscaldwell.com/marzianotex ... OUVweb.jpg
Its not that I didn't look for a "clean" copy - I tip my hat to your mad research skills.

But it looks like you are implying that Correggio is Marziano (I hope you have the correct attribution inside the fly leaf ;-). I forget, is that available for purchase yet?

Actually, after going to the BnF link, your cover illustrations make perfect sense in light of the full title of the manuscript:
istoria Angliae, sive potiùs historia Britonum ab Aenea et Bruto, ad mortem Arturii Regis, ex Galfredo Monemuthensi potissimùm concinnata : authore Galasio, Corrigiae Comite.

Your front cover shows Michelino's Visconti's genealogical descent from Anchises (Aeneas being his son) and Galasso's work also makes an Arthurian connection to Aeneas. You should point out that Visconti interest if not printed yet, or in the next edition.

Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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This is the cover explanation as printed:


http://www.rosscaldwell.com/marzianotex ... nfoweb.jpg

I haven't explained any of the Aeneas-Venus connections, or made any arguments in the book. No biography of FMV here.

This book is an introduction to Marziano's life, and the Tractatus, with the text and translation of the Tractatus, Barzizza's oration, Decembrio's brief remarks, and Marcello's letter to Isabelle. Marcello is put into an appendix with the rest because the other manuscripts of the text made me acutely aware that Marziano's work stands on its own. And, the Latin is not an edition of the Paris copy, but a critical edition made from Paris and Brescia (Queriniana C.VII.1).

Finally, because the book is intended to be used by people who have Robert Place's Marziano Tarot, I have included a chapter associating the heroes with the geomantic signs, and a method of card reading with them. Didn't you get my email to you about all of this?

I posted an announcement of the book here -
viewtopic.php?f=9&p=20984#p20984
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Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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I'm not pretending that Correggio "is" Marziano, of course - i.e. lying. Rather, in this image, since I had no image of Marziano, Correggio stands in place of or repesents Marziano in what would have been the same image had any artist portrayed Marziano presenting his book to Filippo Maria.

Also, the book is red, which is exactlly how the Paris manuscript is bound today (although that was done around 1514).
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Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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Phaeded -
Its not that I didn't look for a "clean" copy - I tip my hat to your mad research skills.
Searching for mss at the BnF is easy from here -

https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/pag ... html?col=1

For example, go down to "Latin," and then the "Latin" dossier. Look up the catalogue number. Not everything is up, either in color or from an old microfilm, but very much is.
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Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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Phaeded: As far as Arthuriian themes in the CY, I would think the World card suggests, among other things, a Grail Knight and the Fisher King (fishing in the lake), with the red castle as the Grail Castle. This is not to deny other interpretations, such as Francesco Sforza in some exploit or Filippo Maria en route to visit his mistress (Grail as a feminine symbol).

Also, the Lancelot illustrations are the work of more than one hand, as modern scholarship recognizes (pointed out in the Brera catalog of 2013, which I quoted at viewtopic.php?p=16207#p16207). Actually, this is something pointed out as early as 1987 in perceptive Yale M.A. thesis, which she still stands by (retired now from the Chicago Art Institute). If I get time, I will quote her observations, although it is not especially important whether it was one Bembo or two. The other hand is now identified as Ambrogio Bembo, Bonifacio's brother.

Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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Ross G. R. Caldwell wrote: 27 Jul 2019, 23:03 Finally, because the book is intended to be used by people who have Robert Place's Marziano Tarot, I have included a chapter associating the heroes with the geomantic signs, and a method of card reading with them. Didn't you get my email to you about all of this?

I posted an announcement of the book here -
viewtopic.php?f=9&p=20984#p20984
Sorry Ross, I rarely check my yahoo email (usually use my business email even for personal communication, but various webpage accounts are linked to yahoo). Please read my email response though - I think your email was intended for someone else - I have no interest in cartomancy and would have never suggested geomancy. You need to credit someone else.

I also missed the book announcement - thanks for the link; not a bad thing to maybe place it on "News" or even this board - I rarely open any board besides this one (I've never even opened that Library board before).

Phaeded

Re: An Arthurian text dedicated to Filippo Visconti, with dedication illumination

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Phaeded wrote: 28 Jul 2019, 17:14 Sorry Ross, I rarely check my yahoo email (usually use my business email even for personal communication, but various webpage accounts are linked to yahoo). Please read my email response though - I think your email was intended for someone else - I have no interest in cartomancy and would have never suggested geomancy. You need to credit someone else.

I also missed the book announcement - thanks for the link; not a bad thing to maybe place it on "News" or even this board - I rarely open any board besides this one (I've never even opened that Library board before).

Phaeded
I had thought it would remain long enough in the "Recent Topics" sidebar, but we went fast and furious enough that it got knocked "under the fold" so to speak, and out of sight, out of mind.

I answered your post, sorry I wrote to your yahoo email, that was all I had. But as you make clear, it didn't matter anyway. I was under the misapprehension that you had made a suggestion to that effect, off-hand for sure, and that one could use Manilius-God-Zodiac-Schifanoia month-Schifanoia God- to make the attribution for 12 of Marziano's heroes, via the traditional and standard Geomantic Figure-Zodiac Sign association. That took care of the first 12, giving Bacchus to Vulcan, of course. For the final four I used the Geomantic double-attribution of four Zodiac signs, for Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, and Scorpio, and went with the primary elemental attribution that was consistent.

For the divinatory method, it was a different matter, and I had to rely on my own ingenium.
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