Women Readers and Pierpont Morgan MS M. 126
- Author/Editor
- Driver, Martha W
- Title
- Women Readers and Pierpont Morgan MS M. 126
- Published
- Driver, Martha W. "Women Readers and Pierpont Morgan MS M. 126." In John Gower: Manuscripts, Readers, Contexts. Ed. Urban, Malte. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2009, pp. 71-109.
- Review
- Driver makes two claims in her essay: 1) that the "visual representation [of women] in [Pierpont Morgan Library] MS M.126] . . . argues for active female engagement. In example after example, women are shown as central characters in the action as well as being the main speakers in many of Gower's texts). The majority of illuminations in MS M.126 emphasize female agency and intelligence, qualities that still appeal to women readers of Gower's instructive tales" (71-72) and 2) that "in such a book, a queen might see her own reflection. Given the visual evidence provided by MS M.126, the script, the iconography, and the suggestive scribal inscriptions decorating the ascenders and descenders, I strongly suspect it was made for a woman in the circles of Edward IV, most probably for the beautiful Elizabeth Woodville" (107). In support of her arguments she offers ample evidence; includes 15 figures. [RFY. Copyright. The John Gower Society. JGN 30.1]
- Date
- 2009
- Gower Subjects
- Manuscripts and Textual Studies