Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Proposal
Type: Research funding proposal (full text)
Year: 2020
Advisor: Virginia Blanton
Project Description
Section titled “Project Description”Held at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a twentieth-century, French, illuminated manuscript (KGC51) that details the life of Saint Didier by Joseph Royer. Other than the author’s identity, the origin of this manuscript and the motive for its production remains a mystery. Professor Virginia Blanton’s preliminary study of the book has resulted in the hypothesis that Joseph Royer was a bibliophile that dedicated a large portion of his life to preserving the historical legacy of his local community by creating this illuminated manuscript in honor of the local patron saint of Langres, Bishop Didier, in the style of medieval books.
Verification of this hypothesis hinges upon the collection of an enormous amount of data. The goals of this research are to identify the book of hours used as inspiration for the decorations, transcribe and find the source of the St. Didier Text, write a biography of Joseph Royer, seek out information on the book, and make a detailed description of the manuscript.
This project will contribute to humanistic knowledge in many ways. Completion of this research will provide insight into artistic book production in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and how authors such as Royer contributed to the period phenomenon of book arts produced in the medieval style. It will provide insight into the continuing value of Saint’s Lives as a literary genre, an underappreciated and under-researched area. The research will provide a genealogy of the Royers, bringing to light details of this influential family. Finally, this research will provide a much-needed study of an archival document, held here in Kansas City.
Methods
Section titled “Methods”Using high-quality images of KGC51 provided by the Nelson-Atkins, the project involves a complete transcription of the French text. Preliminary research is done using digital resources such as the Index for Medieval art. Comparative study of books of hours, as well as research into nineteenth-century bookmaking is conducted at the Getty Library using their art historical collections and by interviewing curators.
The research investigates the Getty’s extensive study photographs of French paintings and drawings archive, as well as key texts on illumination and medieval manuscripts. Throughout, complementary source materials include Professor Blanton’s research on related manuscripts, articles on Royer manuscripts, and digitized medieval manuscripts from the British Library.
Schedule
Section titled “Schedule”- June 1-5: Transcribe the French text and verify transcription.
- June 8-12: Research the Latin and French lives of St. Didier and locate source material.
- June 15-19: Research artwork and identify exemplars for the decoration; travel to Getty Museum.
- June 22-26: Write catalog description and provenance information.
- June 29-July 3: Research publication venues and revise conference proposal.
Budget
Section titled “Budget”| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flight to Los Angeles | $355 |
| Hotel for three nights | $542 |
| Ground transportation | $100 |
| Meals | $153 |
| Poster for symposium | $100 |
| TOTAL | $1,250 |