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Female Book Owners in the Valois Courts, 1350–1550: Devotional Manuscripts as Vehicles for Self-Definition PDF

331 Pages·2010·63.18 MB·English
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Female Book Owners in the Valois Courts, 1350-1550: Devotional Manuscripts as Vehicles for Self-Definition by Joni M. Hand A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Art History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2010 UMI Number: 3481502 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3481502 Copyright 2011 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 ii © 2010 Joni Hand All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Art History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Professor Barbara G. Lane Date: 3/12/2010 Chair of Examining Committee Professor Patricia Mainardi Date: 3/12/2010 Executive Officer Professor Cynthia Hahn Professor William Clark Professor James Saslow Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract Female Book Owners in the Valois Courts, 1350-1550: Devotional Manuscripts as Vehicles for Self-Definition By Joni M. Hand Advisor: Professor Barbara G. Lane An examination of the books owned by noblewomen from the Valois courts reveals how significantly they contributed to the cultural and spiritual character of the period. They were responsible for commissioning a vast number of manuscripts, some of which were aesthetically equal to the books made for the dukes and kings. In fact, certain manuscripts now considered the most lavish and important from this period belonged to women. These women often married into noble families from regions far from their native lands. When they arrived at their new homes, they brought their own customs, knowledge of artistic styles, and aesthetic sensibilities, which affected book production in western Europe. Appendices 1-7 show the complexity of relationships between nobles from Burgundy, France, Spain and England for eleven generations, and include all of the individuals discussed in this dissertation. These charts reveal the matrilineal connections between generations and include many women who do not appear on ancestral charts in other studies of the late medieval nobility in northern Europe. As demonstrated in the charts, marriages could result in the solidification of certain regions within a generation, causing genealogical ramifications in subsequent generations. This ancestral web shows the mobility of women in western Europe in the late Middle Ages, resulting in their desire to preserve some of their childhood traditions through commissions of devotional manuscripts. v This interactive nature of manuscripts and the multiple ways in which they were used by women of the Valois courts is central to this study. I adhere to the idea that devotional manuscripts used by these women must be studied within the context for which they were made and in which they were used. At first glance, devotional manuscripts appear to be just that, books of prayers. On further examination, it is clear that they were multifunctional and could express issues that applied to many aspects of a noblewoman’s life. This dissertation considers book collections of late medieval noblewomen and the ways in which they used their private devotional manuscripts as vehicles for self-definition, in order to preserve the devotional and cultural traditions of their families. vi Acknowledgements I never could have finished this dissertation without the support of my husband, Kevin. He co-suffered through all the ups and downs that a graduate student goes through with unwavering support. My advisor, Professor Barbara G. Lane, went far beyond her duty as critical reader of my dissertation. Her constant encouragement and interest in my topic helped immensely. Her willingness to read multiple drafts amazed me and inspired me to work harder. Finally, Professor Bill Clark gave me much needed advice on surviving the writing and defending of this dissertation. His gentle criticism and bibliographic suggestions were greatly appreciated. vii Female Book Owners in the Valois Courts, 1350-1550: Private Devotional Manuscripts as Vehicles for Self-Definition Table of Contents Abstract iv Acknowledgements vi List of Manuscripts Cited x List of Figures xvi Introduction 1 I. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves: A Vehicle of Self- Definition 1 II. Private Devotional Manuscripts 3 III. The Valois Courts 6 IV. Historiography of the Study of Female Book Owners in the Late Middle Ages 8 V. Contribution of this Study to the Existing Scholarship 10 Chapter 1: Female Book Collectors in the Valois Courts 18 I. Bonne of Luxembourg 19 II. Jeanne of Bourbon 20 III. Isabeau of Bavaria 21 IV. Margaret of Flanders 23 V. Margaret of Bavaria 24 VI. Yolande of Aragon 25 VII. Charlotte of Savoy 27 VIII. Anne of France 28 IX. Louise of Savoy 29 X. Anne of Brittany 30 XI. Claude of France 31 XII. Mary of Burgundy 32 XIII. Margaret of Austria 34 XIV. Margaret of York 35 XV. Joanna of Castile 37 XVI. Conclusion 38 Chapter 2: Women and Devotional Manuscripts: Self-Definition Through Patronage 55 I. Choice of Artists 57 viii A. Margaret of Austria 57 B. Charlotte of Savoy 60 C. Louise of Savoy 62 D. Yolande of Aragon 65 II. Textual Evidence of Self-Definition 67 A. Choice of Prayers 67 1. The Bedford Hours and the Sobieski Hours 68 2. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves 71 3. The Hours of Joanna of Castile 77 B. Choice of Language 80 1. The Hours of Isabel of Portugal 81 2. The Hours of Margaret of Cleves 83 C. Inscriptions 85 1. The Breviary of Mary of Savoy 86 2. The Breviary of Isabelle of Castile 87 III. Hagiographic Evidence of Self-Definition 90 A. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves 91 B. The Brussels Hours 94 C. The Hours of Anne of France 95 D. The Hours of Margaret of Cleves 97 E. The Psalter of Jeanne of Laval 98 IV. Conclusion 100 Chapter 3: Visual Demonstrations of Self-Definition 123 I. Portraits 124 A. Devotional Portraits 124 1. Bonne of Luxembourg 126 2. Jeanne of Boulogne 127 3. Joanna of Castile 129 4. Anne of Burgundy 132 5. Margaret of Cleves 136 6. Catherine of Cleves 137 7. Mary of Savoy 139 ix 8. Anne of Brittany 141 9. Mary of Burgundy 144 B. Portraits within a Narrative 149 1. Anne of France 149 2. Catherine of Cleves 151 3. Margaret of Austria 152 4. Louise of Savoy 155 5. Mary of Burgundy 159 II. Coats of Arms and Mottos 161 A. Charlotte of Savoy 162 B. Anne of Burgundy 164 C. Isabelle of Castile 166 D. Catherine of Cleves 169 E. Margaret of York 170 F. Claude of France 172 III. Marginalia 174 A. The Psalter of Bonne of Luxembourg 175 B. The Breviary of Mary of Savoy 178 C. The Hours of Catherine of Cleves 183 IV. Conclusion 186 Chapter 4: Women and Legacy: The Generational Transference of Self 209 I. The Use of Manuscripts in the Early Education of Children in the Courts 211 II. Noblewomen as Teachers: The Virgin and St. Anne as Models 228 III. Conclusion 245 Conclusion 262 Appendices 266 Bibliography 273 Figures 305

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An examination of the books owned by noblewomen from the Valois courts reveals how significantly they contributed to the cultural and spiritual character of the period. They were responsible for commissioning a vast number of manuscripts, some of which were aesthetically equal to the books made for
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