The Lancelot-Grail Project:
Chronological and Geographical Distribution of Lancelot-Grail
Manuscripts
©
Alison Stones 2007, rev. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019
I use the symbol + to indicate manuscripts
which I consider were made by the same craftspeople or are closely
related to each other stylistically. Justification of the
stylistic groupings of thirteenth and early fourteenth-century
manuscripts can be found in A. Stones, The Illustrations of the
French prose Lancelot (Ph.D. University of London, 1970-71); F.
Avril in Les Fastes du gothique, le siècle de Charles V (Paris,
1981); for late fourtenth-century manuscripts see M. Meiss, French
Painting in the Time of Jean de Berry, I, The Late Fourteenth Century
and the Patronage of the Duke, 2 vols., London, 1967; for Jacques
d'Armagnac's manuscripts, see S.A. Blackman, The Manuscripts and
Patronage of Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours (1433-1477), 2
vols. (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1993, Ann Arbor, Mich.
University Microfilms, 1994); and for other fifteenth-century copies,
see F. Avril and N. Reynaud, Les manuscrits à peintures en France
1440-1520 (Paris, 1993). See also T. Delcourt, ed. La Légende du roi Arthur (Paris: BnF 2009); A. Stones, Studies in Arthurian Illustration, 2 vols. (London: Pindar, 2018).
Carol Chase
verified the Estoire list; Irène Fabry verified the Suite
Vulgate manuscripts and reviewed the entire list; Martine Meuwese and Roger Middleton gave
valuable assistance. I
have published several partial
lists (1977, 1988, 2000, 2003, 2018...) which the present list supercedes.
For a list by library, see Lancelot-Grail Library List. Not every
manuscript on that list can be firmly attributed. Here I include
only those whose attribution is reasonably assured; the others can be
consulted via the Library List.
Textual components are indicated as follows: E=Estoire, M=Merlin,
SV=Suite Vulgate du Merlin, L=Lancelot (L1=En la marche
de Gaulle; L2=Journey to Sorelois, L3=Conte de la Charette, L4=Suites
de la Charette, L5=Agravain); Q=Queste, MA=Mort
Artu.
Other Versions: J=Joseph in prose, based on Robert de Boron's
verse version, often copied as selections interpolated into Estoire;
for details, see O'Gorman's edition; SM=Suite du Merlin (Huth
Version, not to be confused with Suite Vulgate du Merlin, see
Text Editions Page), Didot-Perceval; Post-Vulgate Q ueste. For
editions see Text Editions Page.
Square brackets [ ] enclose references to manuscripts containing non-Lancelot-Grail
texts.
Links are to libraries' sites or to our descriptions; some sites
include images.
Date |
Place |
Library and Shelf Number |
Text Branches |
Number of Illustrations |
[c. 1210-20 ?] |
North France: Champagne ? |
[J, M, Didot-Perceval,
Lapidaire] |
15 |
|
c. 1220 |
North France |
Nottingham, UL WLC Lm7 | E (beginning incomplete) M
fragment |
unillustrated |
c. 1220 |
Paris ? Champagne ? |
E, M, L1, L2 incomplete, L3
incomplete |
64 |
|
c. 1220 |
Champagne ? attr. England |
Paris, BNF fr. 752 |
L1 |
unillustrated |
c. 1220 |
Champagne ? |
London, BL Landsdowne 757 |
L1 |
unillustrated |
c. 1220 |
North France |
Berkeley, UCB 73 (ed.
Bogdanow) |
QMA |
1 |
c. 1220 |
Champagne ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 768 Gallica bw |
L1-L2 (MS de base of Kennedy's
edition of the non-cyclic Lancelot)
|
1 |
c. 1220-30 |
Savoie ?
|
MA |
unillustrated |
|
c. 1230-40 ? |
North France |
Paris, BNF fr. 337 Gallica bw |
M[Livre d'Artus] |
unillustrated |
c. 1230-50 |
North or East France |
London, BL Royal 19 C.XIII |
L1L2L3L4L5QMA |
1(L1); distinctive penflourishing
|
c. 1230-50 |
Thérouanne or South France ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 748 + |
JM |
15 |
c. 1230-50 |
North France |
Paris, BNF fr. 747 |
EMSV, L1 announced but absent
[MS de base of Micha's ed. of M] |
3 |
c. 1230-50 | North France | Paris, BNF fr 751
Gallica bw |
L1L2L3L4L5 incomplete, QMA
|
1(L1) |
c. 1225-50 |
North France |
Paris, BNF n.a.fr. 4380 |
MA |
unillustrated |
c. 1240-50 |
North France |
Paris, BNF fr. 771 Gallica bw |
L5Q |
2 |
c. 1250 |
Soissons or Laon ? |
Oxford, Bodl. Rawl. D. 899 |
L5QMA |
2 |
mid-13th c. ? |
North France |
Paris, BNF fr. 423 Gallica bw |
[J]Mabridged |
unillustrated |
mid-13th c. |
Cistercian ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 1430 Gallica bw |
L1L2L3
|
unillustrated |
c. 1250 |
Paris ? |
Berkeley, UCB 107 |
L1L2L3L4 |
5 |
c. 1250 |
Paris ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 339 Gallica bw |
L1L2L3L4L5QMA |
120 |
c. 1250 |
Paris ? |
London, BL Royal 19 C.XII |
E |
unillustrated |
c. 1250 |
Paris |
Brussels, BR 9627-8 |
QMA |
37 |
c. 1250 |
Paris |
Chicago, Newberry f21Ry.34
12261+ |
L1L2L3L4 |
3 |
c. 1250-75 ? |
Paris ? |
London, BL Add. 17443 |
QMA |
2 |
c. 1250-75 ? | Paris ? | Paris, Ars. 2997 | ME | 1(M) |
c. 1250-75 ? |
Jumièges ? |
Berkeley, UCB 106
(ex-Phillipps 3643) |
[Vies des pères] EMSV |
21 |
13th c., second half |
England ? |
Cambridge, Corpus Christi
College 45 |
L1L2L3L4L5 (copied in BL Roy.
19.B. VII) |
unillustrated |
13th c., second half |
England ? |
London, BL Royal 20 B.VIII |
L5 |
|
13th c., second half |
North France |
Paris, BNF fr. 20047 Gallica bw |
Robert de Boron, Estoire in verse |
unillustrated |
1271 ns |
North France |
Chantilly, Musée Condé
476(644) |
[Image du monde, Health Treatise]
EQMA |
unillustrated |
c. 1275 for Blanche d'Artois
and Edmund Crouchback |
London |
Paris, BNF fr. 123 Gallica bw |
L5QMA |
90 |
1274 written by a female
scribe |
Douai ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 342 |
L5QMA |
92 |
c. 1280 |
Douai |
Oxford, Bodl. Digby 223 |
L5QMA |
12 |
c. 1280 written by Walterus de |
Douai |
E with J interpolations |
17 |
|
c. 1285 |
Douai |
Gallica bw Le Mans and BNF fr. 770 compared |
EMSV[Histoire d'Outremer et
du roi Saladin, La fille du Comte de Ponthieu, L'Ordre de chevalerie] |
140 |
c. 1285 |
Douai ? |
Oxford, Bodl. Douce 303 |
E |
2 |
1284 written by Michael
nomine felix |
Champagne ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 12581 |
Q[literary miscellany] |
1 |
c. 1275-85 |
Saint-Omer or Thérouanne |
Gallica bw |
EMSV |
83 |
c. 1275-85 |
Saint-Omer or |
BNF fr. 19162 and 24394 compared Gallica bw |
EMSV |
71 |
1286 written by Arnulphus de
Kayo |
Amiens and |
Bonn UB 526 |
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
346 |
c. 1270-1300 |
Bologna ? |
Oxford, Bodl. Douce 178 |
EMSV |
162 |
1288 written by Bonifacio de
Gualandis for Brexianus de Salis, Podesta of Modena |
Genoa ? Modena ? |
Chantilly, Musée Condé
1111(649) |
MA |
4 |
c. 1280-1300 |
Genoa |
Berlin, DSB Ham. 49 |
L1 incomplete |
24 |
c. 1280-1300 |
Genoa |
London, BL Harley 4419 |
L2L3L4
|
1 |
c. 1280-1300 |
Genoa |
Paris, BNF fr. 354 Gallica bw |
L4L5 incomplete
|
22 |
c. 1280-1300 |
Genoa |
Venice, BMarciana XI (254) |
L5 incomplete |
|
c. 1280-1300 |
Genoa |
Venice, BMarciana XII (255) |
L5 incomplete |
|
c. 1290 |
Genoa |
Udine, Bibl.Arcivescovile
64/177 |
Q |
34 |
c. 1290 |
Bologna |
Paris, BNF fr. 16998 |
L2L3L4
|
1 |
c. 1290 |
Bologna |
Paris, BNF fr. 773 Gallica bw |
L1 incomplete
|
1 |
c. 1300 |
Tuscany |
Paris, BNF fr. 767 Gallica bw |
L1L2L3L4L5incomplete
2 distinct parts (composite manuscript) |
unillustrated |
c. 1300 |
Naples ? |
Venice, BMarciana Fr.Z.15
(228) |
[Roman d'Artus] |
|
c. 1300 |
Naples ? |
Private Collection |
L fragment |
1 |
c. 1280-1300 |
London |
London, BL Roy. 20.C.VI |
L5QMA |
3 |
c. 1290-1300 |
England |
Paris, BNF fr. 25520 Gallica bw |
QMA |
1 |
c. 1300 |
England |
Cambridge, UL Add. 7071 |
EMSM |
unillustrated; distinctive
penflourishing |
c. 1300 |
England |
London, BL Royal 19.B.VII |
L1L2L3L4L5 ending incomplete |
unillustrated; distinctive
penflourishing |
c. 1300 |
England |
London, BL Egerton 2515 |
Hue de Rotelande, Ipomedon
and Prothesiliaus; L5 ending incomplete |
unillustrated; distinctive
penflourishing |
copied from a MS that says on f.
293 it was made for Philippe Auguste († 1223) |
Paris ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 2455 Gallica bw |
EM |
unillustrated |
c. 1290-1300 |
Metz or Verdun |
Private Collection (Lebaudy, olim |
EM |
129 |
c. 1290-1300 |
Metz or Verdun |
Paris,
BNF fr. 344 |
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
344 (sic) |
c. 1290 |
Acre, Cyprus, or Italy
? |
EJMSVcatchword for L1 |
133 by the Hospitaller Master
and a Mediterranean artist |
|
c. 1290 |
Paris or Acre ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 12580 Gallica bw |
L5QMA |
3 by the Hospitaller Master |
c. 1295 |
Thérouanne or Cambrai |
Paris, BNF fr. 110
|
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
99 |
c. 1295 |
Thérouanne or Cambrai |
London, BL Add.5474 |
[Tristan] L5 interpolations
|
23 |
c. 1290-1300 |
Thérouanne or |
Paris, BNF n.a.fr. 5237 |
ML5MA fragments |
elegant penflourished initials |
c. 1290 |
Thérouanne |
EMSV[Sept Sages, Pénitence
Adam] |
163 |
|
c. 1290 |
Thérouanne |
L5QMA |
166 |
|
c. 1300 |
Thérouanne or Ghent |
Oxford, Bodl. Ash. 828 |
L1 incomplete |
40 |
c. 1300 |
Thérouanne or Ghent |
Paris, BNF fr. 749 Gallica bw |
E[Jfragments]MSV |
126 |
c. 1300 |
Thérouanne or Ghent |
Bologna, AS b.1.bis |
E, fragments |
|
c. 1300 |
Thérouanne or Ghent |
Turin, BN L.III.12 |
MSV |
20 |
c. 1300 |
Arras ? |
Geneva-Cologny,
Bodmer Foundation 147 (ex-Ph.1046) |
E[Gospel extracts, Genesis
extracts and other interpolations including J interpolations]M[Histoire
de
Troie]SV[interpolations][Maurice de Sully, Sermons]QMA |
167 |
c. 1300 |
Arras |
Darmstadt, HLB 2534 |
EMSV
|
3 |
1301 |
Normandy ? |
Paris, BNF n.a.fr. 4166 |
[J]M [Didot-Perceval,
Prophécies de Merlin] |
unillustrated |
c. 1300-10 |
Paris |
St Petersburg, NLR Fr.
F.v.XV.5 |
E with J interpolations |
43 |
c. 1300-10 |
Paris |
Oxford, Bodl. Rawl.Q.b.6 |
L1L2L3L4L5QMA |
212 |
c. 1310 |
Laon or Saint-Quentin ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 12573 Gallica bw |
L5QMA |
78 |
c. 1310 |
Laon or Saint-Quentin ? |
London, BL Add. 38117 (Huth)
|
JMSM |
67 |
c. 1310-20 |
Amiens, Laon, Noyon or
Saint-Quentin |
L1L2L3L4L5
|
175 |
|
c. 1315 |
Arras |
L2 incomplete, L3L4L5 incomplete
|
12 by the Maître aux Mentons
fuyants |
|
c. 1317 ns |
Saint-Omer, Tournai or Ghent |
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
747 |
|
c. 1310-20 |
Saint-Omer, Tournai or Ghent |
EML12345QMA |
189 |
|
c. 1310-20 |
Saint-Omer, Tournai or Ghent |
EQMA |
116 |
|
1319 |
Avignon |
Florence, Laur. Ash. 121(48) |
Q |
62 |
c. 1320 |
England |
EMSV |
unillustrated; distinctive
penflourishing |
|
c. 1320 |
England |
London, BL Royal 20.A.II |
L2 fragment; Q incomplete |
unillustrated |
c. 1320 |
Paris |
Paris, BNF fr. 333 |
L5 |
36 |
c. 1320-30 |
Paris |
EMSVL1 announced but absent |
127 |
|
c. 1320-30 |
Paris |
+ |
Rubric List, EMSV
Rubric List, L1L2L3L4 |
167 78 by the Sub-Fauvel Master
, the Maubeuge Master and the Montbaston Master
|
c. 1320-30 |
Paris |
Oxford, Bodl. Douce 199 |
L5Q |
32 |
c. 1330-45 |
Tournai |
Paris, BNF fr. 1422-4 |
L5incomplete,QMA |
73 |
c. 1340 ? |
Tournai and England ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 769 |
E |
5 and unfinished later
drawings |
1345 |
Tournai |
Paris, BNF fr. 122 |
L3 incomplete, L5QMA |
120 |
1351 written, illuminated and
bound |
Tournai |
Paris, Ars. 5218 |
Q |
3 |
1357 written by Jean de Loles |
Tournai |
New
Haven, Yale Univ. Beinecke 227 |
JEMSV |
164 |
mid-14th c. |
North France |
Paris, Ars. 2996 |
[J]M |
unillustrated |
c. 1340-50 |
Paris |
Paris, BNF fr. 16999 |
L1L2L3L4 |
115 |
c. 1350 |
Paris |
Paris, Ars. 3482 |
MSVL5 incomplete,QMA
|
136 |
14th c. |
North France or England ? |
Paris, BNF fr. 341 |
L1L2 incomplete |
unillustrated; elegant
penflourishing |
14th c. |
Aberystwyth, NLW 5018 |
L5
|
unillustrated |
|
14th c. |
France |
Chantilly, Musée Condé
643(307) |
E with J interpoplationsMSV |
1 miniature, 3 spaces for
illustrations |
14th c. |
Spain |
Escorial, BR P.II.23 |
L |
unillustrated |
c. 1380 |
Milan |
Paris, BNF fr. 343 |
Post-Vulgate Q[Tristan]MA |
119 |
late 14th c. |
Western France ? |
Paris, BNF n.a.fr. 934 no. 28 |
M fragment |
1 |
c. 1400-1410 |
Paris ? |
Private Collection
Switzerland (olim Bodmer unnumbered, Günther Cat. 3 no. 11, Tenschert
Cat. 16 no. 6-7, Kraus Cat. 165 no. 9, olim Clumber, Newcastle 937)
|
EMSV[Vie de du Guesclin] |
|
1402 |
Turin, BN *1688 (L.V.30) |
L5
|
||
c.
1406 sold by Jacques Raponde to Jean Duc de Berry |
Paris |
Paris, BNF fr. 117-120 Gallica (117) Gallica (118) Gallica (119) Gallica (120) |
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
131 by the Master of Berry's
Cleres Femmes |
1405 sold by Jacques Raponde
to Jean Duc de Bourgogne ? |
Paris |
Paris, Ars. 3479-80 Gallica (3479) Gallica (3480) |
EMSVL1L2L3L4L5QMA |
130 various artists |
c. 1425-1450 | Metz ? |
Gallica bw |
EMSVL12345QMA | Decorative borders for EML no miniatures |
c. 1440-55 |
Angers or Poitiers |
Paris, BNF fr. 96 Gallica bw |
EMSVL1L2L3L4
|
36 + spaces |
c. 1450 |
Paris |
olim London, Alpine Club |
L1L2L3L4L5QMA for Prigent de
Coëtivy, Admiral of France (d. 1450) |
34 by the Dunois Master, Jean
Haincelin |
c. 1450-60 |
Tours-Angers |
Dijon,
BM 527 |
Q[Tristan] |
45 by the Master of Charles
du Maine (younger brother of René d'Anjou) |
c. 1450 |
Central France ? |
New York, Pierpont Morgan
Lib. M.207-8 |
EMSV |
32 |
1466, paper, watermark
similar to Briquet 10005-60 |
Paris ? |
Paris, Ars. 3349 |
E |
unillustrated |
c. 1470 |
Central France ? |
New York, Morgan Lib. M.807
|
QMA |
2 |
c. 1470 |
Central
France |
Paris, BNF fr. 112 Gallica (vol. 1) Gallica (vol. 2) bw Gallica (vol. 3) |
Special Version for Jacques
d'Armagnac (ed. Pickford) |
258 by Evrard d'Espingues |
c. 1475 |
Central France |
Paris, BNF fr. 113-116 Gallica (113) Gallica (114) Gallica (115) Gallica (116) |
EML1L2L3L4L5QMA |
209 by Evrard d'Espingues |
1479 |
Bruges |
Graal abrégé written by Lois
Daymereyes for Ysembert des Rolin (d. 1528), seigneur de Rymeries,
bailly Dayweryres, chancellor of the Duc de Bourgogne |
unillustrated |
|
c. 1480 paper |
Champagne ? |
L1L2L3L4L5QMA |
45 miniatures on parchment
added |
|
1480-82 |
Bourges ? |
Brussels, BR 9246 Gallica bw |
E |
52 |
c. 1480-85 for Yvon du Fou,
sénéchal de Poitiers, grant veneur de France (d. 1488)
|
Poitiers |
Paris, BNF fr. 111 Gallica
|
L1L2L3L4L5QMA |
over 50 by the artist of BNF
fr. 22500 |
15th c. |
West France |
Paris, BNF fr. 121 Gallica bw |
L1L2L3incomplete |
1 |
15th c. |
Aberystwyth, NLW 445 |
L2L3
|
unillustrated |
|
15th c. |
Chantilly, Musée Condé
307(643) |
EM |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. paper, no watermarks |
Paris, Ars. 3350 |
An abridged version of the
whole cycle (cf. Morgan M.38) |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. paper |
Paris, BNF fr. 1469 Gallica bw |
[J]M |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. paper |
Paris, BNF fr. 753 |
L1 incomplete |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. paper |
Paris, BNF fr. 1426 Gallica bw Gallica bw |
E |
unillustrated; note for a
miniature on BNF fr. 1426, f. 158v |
|
15th c. |
Giessen, UB 93-94 |
LQMA |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. |
London, BL Harley 6340 |
MSV |
unillustrated |
|
15th c. paper (watermark Lyon
1483-84, Briquet 13042) |
London, BL Harley 6341-2 |
L2L3L4L5, Q announced but
absent |
unillustrated |
|
1504, written by F[r]. J. de
Rochemeure |
Gallica bw |
E |
unillustrated |