Illuminating Women in the Medieval World | The Getty Museum

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Illuminating Women in the Medieval World

June 20–September 17, 2017

Getty Center

Mary Magdalene with a Book and an Ointment Jar, from the Spinola Hours, about 1510-20, Bruges and Ghent, Workshop of the Master of the First Prayer Book of Maximilian. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Abelard Embracing Heloise (detail), from Romance of the Rose, about 1405, Paris, artist unknown. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read, from a book of hours, about 1430-40, France or England, Master of Sir John Fastolf. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Saint Hedwig and the New Convent; Nuns from Bamberg Settling at the New Convent, from The Life of the Blessed Hedwig, 1353, Silesia, artist unknown. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Lancelot Rescuing a Damsel from Brehus sans Pitié (detail), from Romance of the Good Knight Tristan, about 1320-40, Paris, Jeanne de Montbaston. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death, from the Poncher Hours, about 1500, Paris, Master of the Chronique scandaleuse. The J. Paul Getty Museum

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Mary Magdalene with a Book and an Ointment Jar, from the Spinola Hours, about 1510-20, Bruges and Ghent, Workshop of the Master of the First Prayer Book of Maximilian. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Abelard Embracing Heloise (detail), from Romance of the Rose, about 1405, Paris, artist unknown. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Saint Anne Teaching the Virgin to Read, from a book of hours, about 1430-40, France or England, Master of Sir John Fastolf. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Saint Hedwig and the New Convent; Nuns from Bamberg Settling at the New Convent, from The Life of the Blessed Hedwig, 1353, Silesia, artist unknown. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Lancelot Rescuing a Damsel from Brehus sans Pitié (detail), from Romance of the Good Knight Tristan, about 1320-40, Paris, Jeanne de Montbaston. The J. Paul Getty Museum
Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death, from the Poncher Hours, about 1500, Paris, Master of the Chronique scandaleuse. The J. Paul Getty Museum

Illuminating Women in the Medieval World

June 20–September 17, 2017, Getty Center

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The lives of women in the Middle Ages were nuanced and varied, reflecting diverse geographic, financial, and religious circumstances. The pages of illuminated manuscripts reveal the many facets of and attitudes toward medieval womanhood.

Drawn primarily from the Museum’s collection, this exhibition presents the biblical heroines, female saints, and pious nuns who embodied ideals of proper behavior, as well as figures who strayed from the path of righteousness. Beyond being subjects, women were also involved in the creation of manuscripts; they commissioned books and sometimes illuminated them.

RELATED EVENTS

TALK

Power in Patronage: When Medieval Women Made Books

In the Middle Ages, women of great wealth and social status often exercised their power and influence through the objects they commissioned, especially books. Christine Sciacca, associate curator at The Walters Art Museum, introduces several women book patrons—a duchess, a middle-class woman, and a community of nuns who commissioned manuscripts for their personal use—who shaped the history of medieval book production as we know it today.

Sunday, July 23, 3:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Lecture Hall

COURSE

Drinking in the Past: Medieval Microbrews

From sunrise to sunset, throughout the year, families in medieval Europe made and drank fermented beverages for health, pleasure, and profit. Join curator Bryan C. Keene and certified beer expert Mark Mark Keene in savoring the history of beer, ale, and mead in this tasting program, that pairs art with medieval and (more delicious) modern brews. Beer tasting enjoyed on the outdoor terrace following the talk. Tickets $65 (includes appetizers); ages 21 and over. Complimentary parking.

Friday, August 4, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Getty Center, Museum Lecture Hall

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PUBLICATION

Illuminating Women in the Medieval World

Illuminating Women in the Medieval World
Christina Sciacca

AUDIO TOUR

Learn about remarkable women who inhabit the pages of manuscripts, and about patrons and artists responsible for books’ luxurious illuminations.

Pick up a multimedia player free of charge in the Museum Entrance Hall.

GALLERY TEXT

Read and download the gallery text that accompanies this exhibition.

EXHIBITION CHECKLIST

Download the exhibition checklist.

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