Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 10120
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Dufresne , Laura Rinaldi
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: From Goddess to Amazon: Christine de Pizan and Fifteenth-Century Miniatures of Might
  • Source: Seeing Gender: Perspectives on Medieval Gender and Sexuality. Gender and Medieval Studies Conference, King's College, London, January 4-6, 2002.. 2002.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Conference Paper Abstract
  • Subject (See Also): Christine de Pizan, Poet- Livre de la Cite des Dames Illumination of Manuscripts Power in Art Women in Art
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: France
  • Century: 15
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations:
  • Table:
  • Abstract: Christine de Pizan (1364-1429) supervised production of her poetry and prose into deluxe manuscripts designed to delight the eye and satisfy the minds of her courtly patrons. In The City of Ladies (1405) she rewrites the history of women, responding to the misogyny of The Romance of the Rose and Boccaccio’s Concerning Famous Women. With the help of three virtues Christine intends to set the record straight through discussion of notable women in politics, the arts, technology and religion. My paper concentrates on the portrayal of women of physical and supernatural power in miniatures accompanying The City. How do artists illustrate the Goddess Ceres or the Amazon Penthesilea in miniatures accompanying Christine’s work? Having a female textual authority blurred existing conventions artists used to render women in miniatures. What models will artists follow? Will signs of class outweigh those of gender? What are these signs, how are they used and how do they change? These questions and more will be investigated in miniatures revealing the various visual solutions invented to deal with the dynamics of feminine versus masculine power. [Reproduced by permission of the Gender and Medieval Studies Conference Organizers].
  • Related Resources:
  • Author's Affiliation: Winthrop University
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2002.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: Not Available