medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
With regards to the Moralized Bibles and the Intended Readers
The four earliest extant French Moralized Bibles, Vienna 2554 (Vienna,
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Ms 2554); Vienna 1179 (Vienna,
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Ms 1179), Toledo-New York Moralized
Bible (Toledo Cathedral and New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, M. 240)
and the Oxford-Paris-London Moralized Bible have all been connected by
various scholars to royal patrons and more recently to the patronage of
Blanche of Castille.(The texts in Vienna 2554 are in French while those
found in the other bibles are in Latin. An extra French translation of some
of the Latin texts was placed in the margins of the third volume of the
Toledo-New York Bible.)It has been argued that Blanche of Castille
commissioned them for herself and for other members of her family.For the
reasons why the French version, Vienna 2554, should be considered to have
been commissioned by and for Blanche see Tracy AnnChapman, "The Female
Audience for the Bible moralisée: Blanche of Castile and the Example of
Vienna 2554"(M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1995); Gerald B.Guest,
"Queens, Kings and Clergy: Figures of Authority in the Thirteenth Century
Moralized Bibles" (Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1998), 106-170 and
John Lowden, The Making of the Bibles Moralisées: The Manuscripts, vol. 2
(University Park:Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), 200.
Two of the bibles in Latin have been thought by Lowden (as well as others)
to have been intended for female readers - namely for Margaret of Provence
(the OPL bible) and for Blanche (the Toledo Bible).
But just because a royal woman owned or commissioned a book doesn't
necessarily mean that she could read it or that she read it on her own. She
could have had someone read it to her as well as discuss the meanings of the
text with her.
Do look at Chapman and Guest for nuanced readings of texts and images in the
bibles intended for a female audience.
Best,
Marina Vidas
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