The Romance of the Rose

Exhibition Program | Exhibition Program Committee | Exhibition Schedule

The Romance of the Rose

January 24– April 19, 2009
The Walters Art Museum
600 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD
Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

INTRODUCTION

The Romance of the Rose, a 13th-century poem written in Old French, was among the most popular and influential literary texts of its day.  The allegorical treatment of such an enduring subject as "Love" and the exploration of the notion of "Quest" make this focus show widely accessible to diverse audiences. 

The exhibition features nine different manuscripts of the Romance of the Rose drawn from collections in North America, along with a selection of medieval ivories from the Walters collection.  The exhibition is a collaborative project among the Walters, The Johns Hopkins University, and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.