The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 21, 2026

A vertically oriented ink and tempera painting on vellum is framed by a golden architectural arch. Finely detailed lines and gold leaf embellish the scene depicting two women in grey and blue gowns beside a winding stream. Behind them, a man in black robes writes at a desk. A unicorn, stag, and boar cluster among green trees, while a castle sits on a distant hill. Ornate columns flank the scene, topped by two winged figures.

Frontispiece Miniature from the Manuscript of a Poem by Guillaume Crétin: Debate Between Two Women

c. 1537–1540

Master of Francis I

(French)
France, Paris
ink, tempera, and liquid gold on vellum
Sheet: 27.1 x 20.1 cm (10 11/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1991.157
Location: Not on view

Description

This leaf is one of four surviving miniatures from the only known illuminated manuscript of the poem Débat entre deux dames sur le passetemps des chiens et oyseaux by Guillaume Crétin. The poem takes the form of a debate between two women, represented here, who argue at length as to the relative merits of hunting with falcons versus hunting with dogs. The volume was likely made as a presentation copy or gift for King Francis I (1515-1547). This artist is known to have painted many miniatures for the king as well as for other members of the court during the 1530s.
  • Turner, Evan H. "Selected 1991 Acquisitions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 79, no. 2 (1992): 63-83. Reproduced: p. 68; Mentioned: p. 76 www.jstor.org
  • The Glory of the Painted Page: Manuscript Illuminations from the Permanent Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 6, 2010-April 17, 2011).
    Cleveland Museum of Art, (11/06/2010 - 04/17/2011); "The Glory Of the Painted Page: Manuscript Illuminations from the Permanent Collections"
    Illuminated Manuscripts. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 10, 2004-October 2, 2005).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (10/10/2004 - 10/02/2005); "Illuminated Manuscripts"
  • {{cite web|title=Frontispiece Miniature from the Manuscript of a Poem by Guillaume Crétin: Debate Between Two Women|url=false|author=Master of Francis I|year=c. 1537–1540|access-date=21 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.157