Battling Medieval Misogyny: A 15th Century Barbie?

“Barbie” dominated cinemas worldwide, as Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie crafted a vision of women who rule, celebrate each other, and emerge victorious.

Actually, it has a 15th century predecessor. Medieval France’s Christine de Pizan penned her own vision of cultural rebellion - championing female heroes, lampooning misogyny!

But why didn’t she spark a revolution? Why did we have to wait another 600 years for feminism? Studying this feminist pioneer, we see that culture is a battleground - in terms of how we perceive each other. Secular-scientific transformations were necessary before the F-word would truly ignite.

Detail of a miniature of Venus presiding over a group of men and women, who are presenting their hearts to her, from 'L'Épître Othéa'.