The Illuminated book of the city of ladies
Show Dates: July 7th - 29th, 2023
Opening Reception: July 7th, 5pm - 8pm
Join us for our July gallery show, ‘The Illuminated Book of the City of Ladies,’ featuring work by local artist, Hannah Charlton.
Show Description:
Inspired by The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan (originally published in 1405), local artist Hannah Charlton honors the heroic ladies of the 15th century through her painted illuminated manuscripts. Through her artwork, Charlton celebrates the accomplishments of these women and uses traditional medieval illuminated manuscript techniques to bring their stories to life.
Artist Statement:
“And as long as women’s achievements were excluded from our understanding of the past, we would continue to feel as if we had never done anything worthwhile.” (Judy Chicago, The Dinner Party: A Symbol of Our Heritage 12) The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan tells the stories of famous women in history and myth, and was written to encourage Christine’s 15th century contemporaries. Depressed with the misogynist stories of her time, Christine was inspired to make a grand counter-argument, a rhetorical city from where women of the past, present, and future could defend themselves. Christine argues against vague theories about women’s faults with specific examples, using each story to build up the city. Some of the ladies were talented writers, great scientists, and great witches. They were brave, gentle, faithful, and strong. The stories of many women featured in the City have survived. Circe has found a new life with Madeline Miller’s 2018 book, and Sappho is as beloved today as she has been for thousands of years. Other ladies in the City, like Anastasia and Leontium are more obscure. Researching some of these was an exercise in frustration and academic paywalls. I want to bring these ladies back to people’s imaginations. Like the artist Anastasia, I do this by making illuminated manuscripts. Like Christine de Pizan, we will all build the City of Ladies together.