By personalizing their books, these remarkable women asserted their agency, expressed their identity, and left an important mark on the world of medieval art.
Powerful Women in Medieval Books
These manuscripts show identity, piety, and wealth
Topics
Irmengard and Her Husband Werner, shortly after 1053. Tempera colors, gold, and ink. Getty Museum, Ms. 125 (2023.6), fol. 253v
Body Content
Throughout the Middle Ages, affluent women expressed their social and political power as well as their piety by commissioning luxurious art objects.
Several of the manuscripts in Getty’s collection contain images of these influential women, offering vivid glimpses into how they expressed their roles and identities in medieval society.
Powerful Women
One of these exceptional women was Irmengard von Nellenburg, who had a series of painted pages added to a manuscript in memory of her husband and son, who both died in the 1053 Battle of Civitate, in Italy. Irmengard lived in the mid-11th century, at a time when women held political and financial power, like the ability to inherit property and wealth through the maternal line. This was to change by the end of the century. Although we don’t have many details about her life, we know she was a member of a powerful ruling family that included her uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II.
On the dedication page, Irmengard is shown presenting her deceased husband, who holds her book, to Christ and Saint Michael. This image emphasizes Irmengard’s significance, highlighting her role as patron and donor of this important gift.
L: Irmengard and Her Husband Werner, shortly after 1053. Tempera colors, gold, and ink. Getty Museum, Ms. 125 (2023.6), fol. 253v R: Christ and Saint Michael, shortly after 1053. Tempera colors, gold, and ink. Getty Museum, Ms. 125 (2023.6), fol. 254.
Pious Women
Later in the Middle Ages, books of hours—prayer books owned by the laity—became popular among well-to-do medieval women and were often passed down as gifts from mother to daughter. These manuscripts also contain images of their owners, intended to express both their personal identity and piety.
Some women were shown alongside saints to whom they were especially devoted. In the image below, a woman kneels before the Virgin and Child. Details in the image give some clues to the owner’s identity. The appearance of Saint Catherine behind her may indicate that the owner was named Catherine, and the pattern of her skirt likely derived from her family’s coat of arms.
Saint Catherine Presenting a Kneeling Woman to the Virgin and Child, about 1400–1410, French. Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment, 7 7/16 × 5 3/16 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig IX 4 (83.ML.100), fol. 105
Mother and Daughter
In this image of the crowd at Christ’s Crucifixion, a possible mother and daughter are shown at the foot of the cross. Placing them directly into the biblical scene suggests their piety.
The Crucifixion with a Kneeling Woman, about 1500, Workshop of Gerard Horenbout. Tempera colors and gold paint. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig IX 17 (83.ML.113), fol. 86v.
A Woman and Her Mortality
Denise Poncher, a young French noblewoman who lived in the 15th century, would have recited her devotions from her personalized prayer book while contemplating her own mortality. This manuscript may have been a wedding gift, and the striking painting of Poncher kneeling in front of a terrifying image of Death could be related to the high rate of maternal mortality at the time.
Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death, about 1500, Master of the Chronique scandaleuse. Tempera colors, ink and gold on parchment, 5 1/4 × 3 7/16 in. Getty Museum, Ms. 109 (2011.40), fol. 156
