International Women's Day

International Women’s Day has been celebrated with a series of articles and photographs of inspirational women throughout history. Cherie Blair in the Independent declared, rather depressingly, that women still have a long way to go to reach true equality. Photographs of Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong'o and David Cameron vowing ‘we cannot rest until someone is prosecuted for FGM’, have dominated the internet in the run up to today. Lets not forget the classic quotes from Coco Chanel – ‘A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous’ and Margaret Thatcher – ‘If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.’ 

Yet, despite all of this publicity no-one seems to have considered or challenged how far back inspirational women go. Everyone knows about the Virgin Mary, she was a famous and inspirational woman but rather overshadowed by her son. Helen of Troy from Greek Mythology and Brad Pitt’s CV was only famous because she was the most beautiful woman that ever existed (I guess there is nothing wrong with that) and Joan of Arc was fifteenth-century so not really as ancient as I’d like to venture.

As a student at the Courtauld studying Gothic Architecture for my MA, I can appreciate any notable woman who pops up in my research; they are the exception in a male-dominated medieval world. Of course, inspirational women in the Middle Ages did exist and Blanche of Castile is my favourite. Born in Spain in 1188, Blanche, aged 11, was forced into a marriage treaty with Louis VIII, son of King Philip II Augustus of France. Although Blanche was only French by marriage, she quickly considered France her country, particularly after the birth of her son, Louis IX. 

When her English uncle King John died, Blanche quickly saw the opportunity to increase French territory by seizing the English throne. Her husband, Louis, invaded England in 1216 but failed to secure any land. After Louis died following a crusade in 1226, Blanche became guardian of their son and regent of France. This caused uproar in rebellious parties and a revolt in France, supported by the English King Henry III. Blanche however, maintained her power as regent of France, riding into battle ahead of her troops, dressed in white, and eventually pacifying the English and French. Even after her son Louis was old enough to take the throne of France, Blanche did not abandon her responsibilities. When she heard that the poor were being mistreated by the cathedral chapter in Paris, she rode there herself to ensure that they were released from prison. The stability that she created in France was unquestionable. 

Although sometimes overlooked by male scholars, Blanche was an architectural patron of three Cistercian foundations: Royaumont, a male monastery; Maubuisson, a female convent and Le Lys another female institution. It is also very probably that Blanche patronised some of the stained glass in the choir at Chartres Cathedral, as it clearly displays Castilian and Capetian heraldry, including the fleur-de-lys.

Books in the Middle Ages were extremely expensive to produce and were therefore scarce. Blanche, however, along with her many other manuscript commissions asked for three Bibles Moralisées to be made. The most famous image of Blanche of Castile appears in the last leaf of this book, seated next to her son, she is depicted as powerful. Not only is she the same height as Louis IX, thus illustrating her as equal to the king, she is also gesturing actively in contrast to Louis. Louis passively listens to what his mother is saying. Cleverly, she is placed above the cleric, senior to the lay craftsman painting the manuscript on the right. Louis is placed above the craftsman suggesting that he is the worker, rather than the decision maker, in his relationship with his mother.

 

Image taken from: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6434543387_96f46327d8_o.jpg

Research can be attributed to: Gajewski, A., 'The Patronage Question under Review: Blanche of Castile (1188-1252) and the Architecture of the Cistercian Abbeys at Roymaumont, Maubuisson, and Le Lys', in Reassessing the roles of women as 'makers' of medieval art and architecture, ed. Therese Martin (Boston, 2012) 197-244. & http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/68868/Blanche-Of-Castile