Figure 15. Unknown Artist, Penelope at her Loom, fragment from The Story of Penelope and the Story of the Cimbri Women, from the series The Stories of Virtuous Women, ca. 1480-83, wool and silk, (39 3/8 x 59 1/16 in. (100 x 150 cm). Textiles, Boston Museum of Fine Art, Boston.I am deeply in love with this tapestry. I think it is exquisite, even though it's just a fragment. I love the interior domestic space, overflowing lush growing goodness, and the fact that she's weaving.
Figure 13. Attributed to the Master of the Cité des Dames and workshop and to the Master of the Duke of Bedford, Detail of a miniature of Christine de Pizan in her study at the beginning of the 'Cent balades,' from Various Works (also known as 'The Book of the Queen’), ca. 1410-1414, parchment codex, (365 x 285 mm. (245 x 195). Harley Manuscript Collection, Harley 4431 folio 4, British Library, London, England.Ah, Christine. How I love thee. I have read her City of Ladies and Treasury of the City of Ladies (written 1405) a ridiculous amount of times in the past five days, however, I am still filled with admiration for this incredible woman and feminist. I want to meet her in the next life. I look at this image periodically to remind myself that even when Christine was tired, she kept writing, like me :).
Figure 25. Uknown artist, Joan of Arc compared to Judith, from manuscript of Martin le Franc’s Champion des Dames, circa 1421-1451. Paris: Bibliothèque nationale de France.I compare this image of Joan to the Lady in Touch in The Lady and the Unicorn. They have similar stances, and both function as heraldic bearers. They also share a conceptual connection as women who have abandoned their traditionally female roles without losing their femininity.
Figure 14. Attributed to the Master of the Cité des Dames and workshop and to the Master of the Duke of Bedford, Miniature of Christine, Reason, Rectitude and Justice building the Cité des dames at the beginning of this text, from Various Works (also known as 'The Book of the Queen’), ca. 1410-1414, parchment codex, (365 x 285 mm. (245 x 195). Harley Manuscript Collection, Harley 4431 folio 290, British Library, London, England.Seriously, even if you don't like medieval art, isn't this a cool image?! Christine is visited by allegorical goddesses Reason, Rectitude and Justice on the left, who instruct her to build a City of Ladies where the most virtuous women from all periods of time can exist in harmony. The three virtues undo historical lies about women perpetuated by men through text, image and the spoken word, and with each lie undone, a stone in the City is laid. The mortar is made of virtue. When the City is completed, Mary the Virgin rules as Empress and all virtuous women are welcomed into this female haven. I can't seem to say enough about this.
Fig. 23. Master of Edward IV, Virgin Mary: Annunciation, folio 18v, G.5 manuscript, c. 1500, paint on vellum. Morgan Library, New York.Don't you love the botanical details in the margins? My next big scholarly project, once this thesis is happily 'finished,' will be to study medieval gardens. The connection between this piece and my tapestries is pretty obvious; the only thing that makes it really interesting is the fact that the woman in the illumination is Mary, which I talk at length about. Marianism. Interesting. Complex. So medieval.
What cool images! Thanks for posting them. I think that the manuscript comparing Joan of Arc to Judith is especially interesting - and what a neat connection between Joan's stance to the lady in Touch! Very neat. I bet you were excited when you made that connection.
ReplyDeleteWhen do you defend?
Wow, did I ever love looking at these images and reading your commentary. I'll be interested in reading the final project.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your sensitivity to the visual world. You help me see things in a different, larger way. Thank you.