On October 20, Fordham University in collaboration with Les Enluminures hosted a webinar entitled The Now of the Rose. Fordham faculty, students, and external guests heard from Stephen G. Nichols, Professor Sandra Hindman, Melanie Garcia Sympson, Jonathan Morton, Meradith McMunn, Elina Gertsman, and Christie McWedd on various aspects of the study of the Roman de la rose including the manuscript tradition, its illuminations, and the value of manuscripts in society more generally.
Participants heard from Sandra Hindman, a prominent dealer of illuminated manuscripts and the owner of the Les Enluminures gallery. She discussed the timeless nature of the Roman de la Rose and briefly touched on its themes and transmission. She along with Meredith McMunn discussed the ever-present threat of manuscript theft and destruction and how this process only enhances the values of the manuscripts we do have.
Stephen Nichols explained how the Rose is best experienced in a multimedia way that takes advantage of the differences in the extant manuscripts. His arguments exposed the poverty of reading only the modern edition of the Rose. In that vein, Christine McWebb discussed how digital humanities methods can help to expand access to medieval manuscripts beyond specialists. The event also included a discussion between Jonathan Morton and Elina Gertsman about the role of images in the Rose and how by reading the text along with the images, the reader of the Rose might have a more complete experience.
Fordham Medieval Studies is grateful for the contributions of all the speakers and for the organizational work of Nina Rowe and Brian Reilly in planning and moderating this event. To watch the event click here.
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