The ancient motif of the nymph at the spring was repeatedly revisited in later centuries. Here is a later example:
The Nymph of the Spring, (1514) by Albrecht Dürer, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
The inscription is difficult to read. Here is a machine translation (as always, to be treated with caution):
I am the sacred guardian of the fountain, a nymph of Symphia.
I sleep while gently I feel the murmurs of the water.
Spare my waters, whoever you are, who make the marble basin resound —
do not break (the stillness) nor make noise; whether you bathe or wash — be silent!
It can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that the combination of fountain > nymph was also a well-known motif at the beginning of the 15th century. This gives rise to speculation, particularly with regard to some of the illustrations in quire 13. Could this be a case of allegorically depicted (pagan sacred) springs and their medicinal use ?
edit: I realize that Dürer was a Renaissance artist. The revival of Greek/Roman motifs was already in full swing at that time. As far as the late Middle Ages are concerned, I would say that it was wise to depict such themes only in a “coded” manner.
With his depiction of swallowtail merlons in the VMS, the author may have been referring to northern Italy, where the Renaissance is known to have begun much earlier than in the rest of Europe.
Hypothesis: A Northern European author travels to Northern Italy in the early Renaissance. He is inspired by humanism and ancient and pagan ideas and encrypts his manuscript in order to protect the knowledge when he returns home, where the Renaissance has not yet begun. Timewise, this would fit perfectly into the timeframe.
Note: Ms. Plut. 73.16 originates from southern Italy. Nothing could be found out about its further provenance ( before Laurenziana or Marciana (1441) in Northern Italy ). BTW: Florence was the trendy city of the Italian Early Renaissance.
The Nymph of the Spring, (1514) by Albrecht Dürer, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
The inscription is difficult to read. Here is a machine translation (as always, to be treated with caution):
I am the sacred guardian of the fountain, a nymph of Symphia.
I sleep while gently I feel the murmurs of the water.
Spare my waters, whoever you are, who make the marble basin resound —
do not break (the stillness) nor make noise; whether you bathe or wash — be silent!
It can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that the combination of fountain > nymph was also a well-known motif at the beginning of the 15th century. This gives rise to speculation, particularly with regard to some of the illustrations in quire 13. Could this be a case of allegorically depicted (pagan sacred) springs and their medicinal use ?
edit: I realize that Dürer was a Renaissance artist. The revival of Greek/Roman motifs was already in full swing at that time. As far as the late Middle Ages are concerned, I would say that it was wise to depict such themes only in a “coded” manner.
With his depiction of swallowtail merlons in the VMS, the author may have been referring to northern Italy, where the Renaissance is known to have begun much earlier than in the rest of Europe.
Hypothesis: A Northern European author travels to Northern Italy in the early Renaissance. He is inspired by humanism and ancient and pagan ideas and encrypts his manuscript in order to protect the knowledge when he returns home, where the Renaissance has not yet begun. Timewise, this would fit perfectly into the timeframe.
Note: Ms. Plut. 73.16 originates from southern Italy. Nothing could be found out about its further provenance ( before Laurenziana or Marciana (1441) in Northern Italy ). BTW: Florence was the trendy city of the Italian Early Renaissance.
Quote:Codex acquired by Cosimo de Medici the Elder for the Medicea Laurenziana Library, Florence. Ms. Plut. 73.16.
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