The cultural patronage of medieval women
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The cultural patronage of medieval women
University of Georgia Press, c1996
- : pbk
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Note
Bibliography: p. 321-372
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
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ISBN 9780820317014
Description
This volume examines the significant role played by women as patrons in the evolution of medieval culture. The essays look at women not simply as patrons of letters but also as patrons of the visual and decorative arts, of architecture and of religious and educational foundations.
- Volume
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: pbk ISBN 9780820317021
Description
The Cultural Patronage of Medieval Women is the first volume exclusively devoted to an examination of the significant role played by women as patrons in the evolution of medieval culture. The twelve essays in this volume look at women not simply as patrons of letters but also as patrons of the visual and decorative arts, of architecture, and of religious and educational foundations.
Patronage as a means of empowerment for women is an issue that underlies many of the essays. Among the other topics discussed are the various forms patronage took, the obstacles to women's patronage, and the purposes behind patronage. Some women sought to further political and dynastic agendas; others were more concerned with religion and education; still others sought to provide positive role models for women. The amusement of their courts was also a consideration for female patrons.
These essays also demonstrate that as patrons women were often innovators. They encouraged vernacular literature as well as the translation of historical works and of the Bible, frequently with commentary, into the vernacular. They led the way in sponsoring a variety of genres and encouraged some of the best-known and most influential writers of the Middle Ages. Moreover, they were at the forefront in fostering the new art of printing, which made books accessible to a larger number of people. Finally, the essays make clear that behind much patronage lay a concern for the betterment of women.
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