Illuminating Women in the Medieval World

Small and slim as art books go, this title, which accompanies a Getty Museum exhibition, presents a wide range of medieval women in exquisite manuscript illuminations from the late 12th to 17th centuries, with the majority of the illuminations from that museum's collections. In four chapters, curator Sciacca (Walters Art Museum; Building the Medieval World) describes the pieces in a scholarly yet approachable way and provides context on the era's ideals of womanhood, warnings to women, women's daily lives, and women's roles in the arts. In addition to the depictions of both real and legendary figures, there are many examples of books that were commissioned and illustrated by women, showing they were active in creating their own representations. Also of note are Judaic illuminations from two Haggadahs, a prayer book, and a copy of Maimonides's Mishneh Torah. The book concludes with an epilog, which includes material from the 19th through the 21st centuries that was inspired by medieval illuminations and a list of suggested readings.