Portrait of a ladySome medieval images are just different. This...

Portrait of a lady

Some medieval images are just different. This one shows a close-up of a woman’s face, which is unusual enough for medieval books. What is really astonishing is the detail of the image, as well as its modern - almost cartoon-like - feel. The tiny white lines in her eyes give her face a sad look, a trick still used by artists today. There is something else that makes the face stand out. It is found on the page of a Necrology (Pic 2), a book that was used in monasteries to remember benefactors (and their spouses) that had passed away. The entry which the woman’s face accompanies reads “Died, Peter Braumiche and his wife Agneta.” Given how deeply personal such entries are - they regard good friends of the monastery - the image way well be drawn to represent Agneta. After all, the monk who drew the face probably knew the benefactors. If this is correct, we are looking at the medieval equivalent of a photograph on the grave of a loved one. Rest in peace.

Pic: Joigny, Bibliotheque municipale, 26.