Inside a Medieval Book of Wronged Women
There’s much more to this 15th century manuscript than its text
Dido Mourns with Aeneas's Sword Before Her, about 1493, Master of the Chronique scandaleuse. Tempera colors, gold, and ink. Getty Museum, Ms. 121 (2021.7), fol. 21
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This manuscript, made in 1493, was given to Anne of Brittany, the duchess of Brittany and queen of France, likely as a wedding present.
A translation of Ovid, the manuscript is also one of curator Larisa Grollemond’s favorites in the Getty collection. It's made up of epistolary poems revolving around ancient heroines or, as Grollemond puts it, women who were wronged by their lovers and husbands. A variety of illuminations accompany the stories, including one of the first illustrations of Anne herself, giving a look into contemporary views of female power in the 15th century.
In the third season of Getty’s Close Looking video series, Getty curators explore the details of artworks they cherish. In this episode, Grollemond shows how the manuscript’s illustrations are both complementary to the text and indicative of the conversations about women in the French court.
Learn more in the video below!
Get an insider’s view of more works of art in Getty’s Close Looking series, in which art experts and enthusiasts around Getty share some of their favorite works of art.
