The ''Vaux Passional''
Peniarth 482D
is an illuminated manuscript from the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century. With thirty-four large miniatures in the style of the

Flemish School Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. It flourished especiall ...

, it is one of the most elaborately decorated manuscripts in the collection of the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. It retains an original binding of wooden boards covered in velvet from the early sixteenth century. The volume contains the book plate of Watkin Williams of Penbedw. The first section of the manuscript (ff. 1-185v), ''La Passion de Nostre Seigneur'' (The Passion of Our Lord), which was originally translated from Latin into French for

Isabelle of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – September 1435) was Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach as the only daughter of Duke Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingol ...

in 1398, is almost identical to several other ''Passion de Jésus-Christ'' manuscripts such as

Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal (''Library of the Arsenal'', founded 1757) in Paris has been part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France since 1934. History The collections of the library originated with the private library of Marc-René, 3rd ...

MSS. 2038 and 2386, and

Bibliothèque Mazarine The Bibliothèque Mazarine, or Mazarin Library, is located within the Palais de l'institut de France, or the Palace of the Institute of France (previously the Collège des Quatre-Nations of the University of Paris), at 23 quai de Conti in the 6 ...

MS. 949. Thirty-three of the thirty-four miniatures accompany this text. The presentation page (f. 9) shows Henry VII and his children, Margaret,

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and the future Henry VIII, mourning the death of

Elizabeth of York Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. Elizabeth married Henry after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which mark ...

, his wife and their mother. The king is wearing robes of mourning; in the background his daughters, wearing black hoods, kneel in front of a fire; and behind them their brother Henry, dressed in a green smock, clasps his arms around his head and weeps on his mother's deathbed. A poem ''Le miroir de la mort'' (The mirror of death) by

Georges Chastellain Georges Chastellain (c. 1405 or c. 1415 – 20 March 1475), Burgundian chronicler and poet, was a native of Aalst in Flanders. Chastellain's historical works are valuable for the accurate information they contain. As a poet he was famous am ...

is the second text in the manuscript (ff. 186-205v).

Gwendoline Gwendoline is a feminine given name, a variant of Gwendolen. Notable people called Gwendoline *Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo (1879–1955), a British interior decorator * Gwendoline Butler (born 1922), an English writer of mystery fiction * Gwen ...

and Margaret Davies of Gregynog purchased this manuscript and donated it to the National Library in 1921. It was one of the manuscripts that were not included in the sale of the Peniarth Manuscripts to Sir John Williams.

Binding

The Vaux Passional is a rare example in the National Library of Wales of a manuscript from the middle ages that retains its original late-medieval binding. The wooden boards, which are visible in places, are covered in crimson velvet. There are marks on the upper cover that were left by the brass bosses that adorned the volume, which was probably bound in a London workshop early in the 16th century. Peniarth 481 is also bound in its original crimson velvet and retains the five brass bosses.

Full-page miniatures

File:Vaux_Passional._Henry_VIII_(f.9).jpg, f. 9 Presentation page File:Raising_of_Lazarus_(f._11r).jpg, f. 11r

Raising of Lazarus Lazarus of Bethany (Latinised from Lazar, ultimately from Hebrew Eleazar, "God helped"), also venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the subject of a prominent sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John, ...

File:Christ_and_disciples_at_table_in_the_house_of_Symeon_the_leper,_with_Mary_Magdalen_and_Martha_serving_(f._14).jpg, f. 14 House of Symeon File:Mary_Magdalen_anointing_Christ%E2%80%99s_feet_(f._15v).jpg, f. 15v Christ and St Mary Magdalen File:Entry_into_Jerusalem_(f._17v).jpg, f. 17v

Entry into Jerusalem In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during ...

File:Two_scenes_in_the_Temple_Christ,_the_woman_taken_in_adultery,_and_Pharisees,_Christ_drives_out_the_money-changers_(f._20v).jpg, f. 20v Two scenes in the Temple File:Christ_disputing_in_the_Temple_(f._23v).jpg, f. 23v

Finding in the Temple The Finding in the Temple, also called Christ among the Doctors or the Disputation (the usual names in art), was an episode in the early life of Jesus depicted in chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke. It is the only event of the later childhood of J ...

File:Christ_tells_his_mother_of_what_is_to_come;_Judas_on_his_way_to_the_chief_priest;_Judas_bargaining_with_the_chief_priests_and_receiving_his_silver_(f._27v).jpg, f. 27v Three scenes with Christ and Judas File:The_two_disciples,_Peter_and_John,_are_sent_to_prepare_the_Passover_(f._32).jpg, f. 32 St Peter and St John at Passover File:Christ_praying_in_the_garden_of_Gethsemane._Two_shields_of_unidentified_arms_in_borders,_with_motto_%E2%80%9CEntre_tenir_Dieu_le_viuelle%E2%80%9D_(f._40).jpg, f. 40 Christ at

Gethsemane Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...

File:The_Betrayal_Peter_raises_his_sword;_Judas_hangs_himself_(f._45v).jpg, f. 45v Two scenes with St Peter and Judas File:The_Buffeting_before_the_high_priest_Mary_faints_in_John%E2%80%99s_arms_outside_the_gate._One_of_the_unidentified_shields_of_arms_repeated_in_border_(f._51).jpg, f. 51 St Mary and St John before the high priest File:Christ_before_Pilate,_and_before_Herod;_angels_in_border_(f._54v).jpg, f. 54v Christ before Herod and Pilate File:The_Scourging_(f._63).jpg, f. 63 Scourging of Christ File:Christ_before_Pilate,_with_Pilate_washing_his_hands_(f._70).jpg, f. 70 Christ before Pilate File:Christ_is_nailed_to_the_Cross;_Mary_and_another_pray_in_border_(f._76).jpg, f. 76 Crucifixion of Christ File:The_Crucifixion_Christ_on_the_Cross_between_two_thieves_(f._80).jpg, f. 80 Crucifixion with thieves File:The_Crucifixion_Christ_dead_on_the_Cross,_with_the_Virgin_Mary,_John_and_the_Three_Maries_mourning_(f._92v).jpg, f. 92v Pieta File:The_Crucifixion_Longinus_pierces_Christ%E2%80%99s_side_(f._98v).jpg, f. 98v Longinus pierces Christ File:The_Deposition_Christ%E2%80%99s_body_is_removed_from_the_Cross_(f._103).jpg, f. 103 Deposition File:Entombment_(f._108v).jpg, f. 108v Entombment File:The_Virgin,_John_and_the_other_mourners_leave_the_sealed_tomb_(f._117v).jpg, f. 117v Departure from sealed tomb File:Carimes_and_Lentius_writing_their_narrative_of_the_harrowing_of_hell;_Christ_harrowing_hell_(f._120).jpg, f. 120 Carimes and Lentius File:Harrowing_of_hell_Christ_leads_Adam_by_the_hand._On_scroll_in_border,_the_motto_%27Entre_tenir_Dieu_le_viuelle%27_(f._125).jpg, f. 125 Harrowing of hell File:The_Resurrection_Beaufort_arms_in_border_(f._131).jpg, f. 131 Resurrection with Beaufort arms File:Christ_appears_to_Mary_Magdalen_as_a_gardener_(Noli_me_tangere)_(f._134v).jpg, f. 134v Noli me tangere File:Christ_appears_to_two_disciples_on_the_road_to_Emmaus_(f._137).jpg, f. 137 Christ at Emmaus File:The_incredulity_of_Thomas,_who_places_his_finger_in_the_wound_(f._142v).jpg, f. 142v Doubts of St Thomas File:The_Ascension_(f._148).jpg, f. 148 Ascension File:Pentecost_descent_of_the_Holy_Ghost_as_a_dove_(f._151).jpg, f. 151 Holy Ghost at Pentecost File:Siege_and_destruction_of_Jerusalem_(f._155v).jpg, f. 155v Siege of Jerusalem File:Pilate_sends_Albanus_to_the_Emperor_Tiberius._Albanus_is_wrecked_on_the_coast_of_Spain_(f._172).jpg, f. 172 Pilate and Albanus File:The_Emperor_sends_Vespasian_with_an_army_to_destroy_the_Jews_(f._177v).jpg, f. 177v Caesar and Vespasian File:Young_woman%E2%80%99s_corpse_lying_on_the_ground,_youth_stands_holding_a_mirror_at_her_feet;_an_older_man_sits_gazing_at_the_scene_(f._186).jpg, f. 186 ''Le Miroir de la Mort'', frontispiece File:Peniarth 482D f. 196r.jpg, f. 196r Illuminated page

References

{{reflist

External links

* Th
complete Vaux Passional manuscript
on the National Library of Wales website National Library of Wales collections Christian illuminated manuscripts French-language manuscripts 15th-century illuminated manuscripts