Queens in Stone and Silver: The Creation of a Visual Imagery of Queenship in Capetian France (New Middle Ages) [Hardcover]

Kathleen Nolan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009 | ISBN-10: 1403969906 | ISBN-13: 978-1403969903

Queens in Stone and Silver makes the intriguing argument that royal women from the early twelfth through the mid-thirteenth centuries exercised cultural patronage to craft a visual imagery for queenship. Kathleen Nolan’s study is the first to juxtapose medieval effigy tombs and personal seals, the two main forms of self-representation. This study considers the meaning of art both through the dialogue between semiotic and iconographic methodologies and the study of lost medieval monuments through the eyes of witnesses from the past. By extricating the artistic meaning of the seals and tombs, Nolan’s uncovers the true agency of royal women and adds a new angle to the way we look at the past.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Nolan has discovered compelling connections between the representations of living queens on their seals, and of dead queens on their tombs. She goes beyond recent quibbling over patronage and portraits, to argue a broader significance for these seals and tomb effigies in relation to the reputation and artistic control of several royal women. Though the objects of her study are visual works, she builds upon and complements the recent work of historians, and scholars of literature. In a framework of current gender studies and feminist theory, she uses these case studies to re-examine modern views of the ways women’s authority is manifested in cultural production.”--Madeline H. Caviness, Mary Richardson Professor Emeritus of Art and Art History, Tufts University

 

"This path-finding work is essential reading for anyone interested in Gothic art and architecture. With so many of her queens of stone and silver now destroyed, Nolan takes an active voice in guiding the reader through historical documentation, related monuments, and modern scholarship to understand these important works of female agency. Thoughtful and innovative, Nolan’s approach allows these self-portrayals to emerge as dynamic entities, dramatically changing our perspective of Gothic art in the bargain."--Mary B. Shepard, Friends University

About the Author

Kathleen Nolan is Professor of Art History at Hollins University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403969906
• ISBN-13: 978-1403969903
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,013,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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