Queens, Noblewomen, and Burgher Women, 1300–1550: Initiative-takers or Passive Patrons?

Initiatives taken by women during the Middle Ages, particularly those of the upper social strata, were reflected strikingly in art, regardless of whether the women had commissioned the works, were benefactors, or were directly involved as active participants in a wide range of activities as founders. One should not overlook the actual creative activities of women – in all social strata they could doubtless also work as artists. Conference contributions on topics from art history (including architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts) will be accompanied by, among other things, discussion of questions in literary history and musicology. The conference seeks to provide space for wide-ranging interdisciplinary discussion at an international level.

The conference will be held on November, 10th –11th, 2022, at the Academic Conference Centre, Husova 4a, Prague.

PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 10TH NOVEMBER

9:00 - Morning coffee, registration

9:45
TOMÁŠ WINTER
Director of the Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Welcome speech

HELENA DÁŇOVÁ
Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Opening

I. INTRODUCTION: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF THE MIDDLE AGES

10:00
ELENA (ELLIE) WOODACRE
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of Winchester, UK
Initiatives in Queenship studies: tracing the trajectory of the field

10:30
HELENA DÁŇOVÁ – KLÁRA MEZIHORÁKOVÁ
Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Initiative or passivity? The role of women in the material culture of the Middle Ages in the Czech Lands

11:15
AMALIE FÖSSEL
Institute of History, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Reflections on the Queens’ agency during the 14th century

11:45
NOELIA GARCÍA PÉREZ
Faculty of Arts, University of Murcia, Spain
Defining themselves or defined by others? Women, portrait and art patronage in early modern Europe

12:15 Lunch break

II. INITIATIVES OF QUEENS AND WOMEN OF HIGH NOBILITY: CASE STUDIES

14:00
ALEXANDRA GAJEWSKI
The Burlington Magazine, London, UK
Jouarre Abbey in the 13th century and a new tomb of princess Osanna

14:30
KLÁRA BENEŠOVSKÁ
Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
A dual path to the salvation of the self, of the family, of the kingdom: Elizabeth Richenza (1288–1335) and Elizabeth Přemyslid of Bohemia (1292–1330)

15:00
ELENA (ELLIE) WOODACRE
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of Winchester, UK
Family dynamics & personal initiative: the patronage of Joan of Navarre (c. 1368–1437)

15:30 - Coffee break

16:00
DAGMAR EICHBERGER
Institute of European Art History, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Margaret of Austria (1480–1530): Artemisia, Juno or Caritas? Shaping a public persona in both religious and political contexts

16:30
OLGA M. HAJDUK – JAROSŁAW PIETRZAK
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
Institute of History and Archiving, Pedagogical University in Krakow, Poland
The Queens as founders and collectors: remarks on the activities of Bona Sforza (1494–1557) and Anna Jagiello (1503–1547)

17:00 - Discussion & Wine

FRIDAY 11TH NOVEMBER

9:00 - Morning Coffee

III. CREATIVE ACTIVITY OF NOBLE AND BURGHER WOMEN: WOMEN ARTISTS AND WOMEN INITIATORS

10:00
MILADA STUDNIČKOVÁ
Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Laywomen as the commissioners and users of prayer books in Medieval Bohemia

10:30
AGNIESZKA PATAŁA
Institute of Art History, Faculty of Historical and Pedagogical Sciences, University of Wrocław, Poland
(In)visibility of female artists and patrons in Breslau (1300–1550)

11:00
CIPRIAN FIREA
Institute of Archaeology and Art History Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Clara Thabiassy – a Transylvanian noblewoman living in the town of Sibiu and her patronal enterprises (c. 1520–1525)

11:30 - Lunch break

IV. WOMEN AND LITERATURE: WRITERS – POETS – READERS

13:30
SOŇA ČERNÁ
Masaryk Institute and Archive of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Johann von Neumarkt and his “Hieronymus Epistles”. A translation for Elisabeth, Margravine of Moravia († 1409)

14:00
JANA FANTYSOVÁ-MATĚJKOVÁ
Masaryk Institute and Archive of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Surrounded by poets and books: Bonne of Luxembourg (1315–1349) and her relationship to literature

14:30
VĚRA SOUKUPOVÁ
Institute for Czech Literature of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Christine de Pizan (1364–1430) and women artists

15:00 - Coffee break

V. WOMAN’S PERCEPTION OF ART AND SPIRITUALITY

15:30
HANA VLHOVÁ-WÖRNER
Masaryk Institute and Archive of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Psalterium de Nativitate Domini nostri Ihesu Christi for the Abbess Cunigunde (1265–1321)

16:00
LENKA PANUŠKOVÁ
Institute of Art History of the CAS, Prague, Czech Republic
Meditating the passion in the Passional of the Abbess Cunigunde (1265–1321): a case study

16:30
CONCLUSION & DISCUSSION

18:00
EXCURSION TO THE ST. ANNE CHURCH AT THE PRAGUE OLD TOWN, THE FORMER CONVENT CHURCH OF THE DOMINICAN NUNS’ MONASTERY

The conference is organized by the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Masaryk Institute and Archive of the Czech Academy of Sciences with the support of the Strategy AV 21 Programme.

The conference is open to the public. For the Zoom link, please, register for free at the e-mail addresses below by 9th November 2022.

The organizers provide accommodation only for active participants of the conference.

CONTACTS:
Helena Dáňová
Institute of Art History
of the CAS
Husova 4
110 00 Prague 1
danovaudu.cas.cz

Klára Mezihoráková
Institute of Art History
of the CAS
Husova 4
110 00 Prague 1
mezihorakovaudu.cas.cz

Jana Fantysová-Matějková
Masaryk Institute
and Archive of the CAS
Gabčíkova 2362/10
182 00 Prague 8
fantysovamua.cas.cz