Christine de Pizan presents her book to Isabeau of Bavaria, Queen of France.
Illumination from The Book of the City of Ladies
Christine de Pizan lecturing men
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( A compilation of the great 15th century French writer, ...)
A compilation of the great 15th century French writer, Christine de Pizan's most important works rendered into English by major scholars and translators. With an introduction by the foremost authority on de Pizan, Charity Cannon Willard. Christine de Pizan, Frances first woman of letters, is widely known for her classic Book of the City of Ladies (Persea, 1982), but very few of her many other distinguished works have been translated into English. The Writings of Christine de Pizan offers lengthy excerpts of nearly all of Christines works, in authoritative and gracious translations. Among the writings are Christines autobiography; lyric and allegorical poetry; the official biography of King Charles V; writings on women, warfare, politics, love, and the human condition; writings from the famous Quarrel of the Rose; The Book of the City of Ladies; The Treasury of the City of Ladies; The Book of the Duke of True Lovers; and Christines triumphant poem on Joan of Arc. Edited and with an introduction by the foremost authority on Christines work, Charity Cannon Willard, who sets the writings in historical, biographical, and literary context.
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(Advice and guidance for women of all ages, from Europe's ...)
Advice and guidance for women of all ages, from Europe's first professional woman writer Written by Europes first professional woman writer, The Treasure of the City of Ladies offers advice and guidance to women of all ages and from all levels of medieval society, from royal courtiers to prostitutes. It paints an intricate picture of daily life in the courts and streets of fifteenth-century France and gives a fascinating glimpse into the practical considerations of running a household, dressing appropriately and maintaining a reputation in all circumstances. Christine de Pizans book provides a valuable counterbalance to male accounts of life in the middle ages and demonstrates, often with dry humour, how a womans position in society could be made less precarious by following the correct etiquette. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Christine de Pizan was born in 1364 in Venice, Italy. Her father served as an astrologer, physician and Councillor of the Republic of Venice. It was after her birth that he served King Charles V of France as the latter’s astrologer, alchemist, and physician. At a young age, Christine joined her father in France.
At the court of King Charles V, Christine was exposed to a learning atmosphere which granted her knowledge about a range of topics including classics, languages and humanism of early Renaissance.
Access to an extensive library packed with valuable literary collection was one of the key benefits for Christine while living at the French court. This gave her an opportunity to study some of the greatest works in literature, science and philosophy.
Christine de Pizan’s career did not begin until she turned 25. Tragedy struck her life as a bubonic plague left her widowed. The sudden death of her husband, Etienne du Castel, forced her to turn to writing to make ends meet, for she had her two children, her mother and a niece to support.
Having gained support from the royals such as Louis I, Dukes of Burgundy - Philip the Bold and John the Fearles - and Isabella of Bavaria, she made her foray into writing poetry.
By 1393, she had started penning love ballads that earned her attention of the wealthy patrons within the court. Impressed by her literary skills, the patrons often asked her to pen their romantic exploits in text forms.
Between 1393 and 1412, de Pizan composed over 300 ballads, and many more short poems. Some of her works reflected her deep-seated grief of her husband’s death.
From 1401, de Pizan’s literary skills went past the courtly circles. She participated in the literary debates held outside court, thus bringing to public her skills as a litterateur and establishing her status as a writer.
Though de Pizan gained a lot of attention for her works, it was her attack over Jean de Meun’s ‘The Romance of the Rose’ that brought her much limelight. Initially de Pizan only intended to stand against the use of vulgar terminology in Meun’s poetry. However, the criticism soon shifted focus from use of vulgar words to unjust slander of women in literary texts.
Christine de Pizan’s critique of Meun’s work was the beginning of her counter-attack on the abusive literary treatment of women in literature. She soon built a reputation for herself in the male dominated literary world as an intellectual female with assertive personality.
In 1404, acting upon the request of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, she penned a biography on the life of deceased King Charles V titled, ‘Le Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage roy Charles V’ (Book of the Deeds and Good Morals of the Wise King Charles V). The book gave a first-hand insight of Charles V and his court.
In 1405, she completed her most famous works, "Le Livre de la cité des dames" (The Book of the City of Ladies) and ‘Le livre du trésor de la cité des dames’ (The Treasure of the City of Ladies). While the former gave an insight about the past contribution by women to the society and bore the seeds of gender equality, the latter taught women all over on how to cultivate good qualities and stand for their rights.
Christine de Pizan’s latter literary life was marred by the political and military clash between France and England during the Hundred Years War. It was after the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Agincourt that de Pizan shifted to a convent located in Poissy, France.
In 1429, she penned her last work, a lyrical, "Le Ditié de Jehanne d’Arc" that celebrated and eulogized the works of a simple shepherdess, Joan of Arc.
Christine de Pizan spent the latter years of her life at a convent in Poissy, France and died around 1430.
In her three decades long career, de Pizan wrote about 41 works in both prose and poetry. Though all her works predominantly defied the traditional role of women and their status in the society, two of his works which became hugely popular were ‘Le Livre de la cité des dames’ and ‘Le Livre des trois vertus’. Considered amongst the first feminists texts ever written, both the works revived the status of women in the society and called for gender equality.
(Advice and guidance for women of all ages, from Europe's ...)
( A compilation of the great 15th century French writer, ...)
She criticized the depiction of women in literature and espoused for their rights in her works.
Pizan was greatly interested in history, ranging from the Matter of Troy to the "founding of the royal house of France" (for her the latter was a consequence of the former). She obtained her knowledge of Troy from the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, and chose an anti-Trojan position. Hector especially served as a model and a measure of masculinity for her.
Christine de Pizan married at an early age of 15. Her husband, Etienne du Castel, served as a royal secretary to the court. The couple was blessed with three children of which two survived. She was widowed at 25.
