Christine de Pizan, Empowering Women in Text and Image

It is well known that in several of her works, Christine de Pizan actively sought to valorize and empower women; she notably made the case for women’s education, argued for the protection of widows, and famously attacked the misogyny of the all-pervasive Roman de la Rose. Whilst numerous examinations have shown that Christine sought to empower women through her texts, this book demonstrates that the visual programmes of her works offer further evidence of Christine’s championing women in their role as educators and activists, whilst challenging some assumptions made about gender in Christine’s works. It also examines the conduits and structures by which power is conferred upon women within them. When read together, the text and image across Christine’s œuvre reveal a consistent picture: one in which women educate and empower one another.

Charlotte Cooper-Davis is a specialist on Christine de Pizan and medieval French literature. She completed her doctoral studies on text/image relations in Christine’s works at the University of Oxford where she has since held several lectureships. She is the author of the biography Christine de Pizan: Life, Work, Legacy (2021).