Abstract
Christine de Pizan (1365ca.-1430), famous for the quarrel of Le Roman de la Rose, was the first professional authoress in Europe. She not only produced many works in diverse genres, but ran an atelier for manuscripts and was directly involved in their execution. Illuminated manuscripts such as Harley ms.4431 of the British Library show the authoress writing in her study and presenting her book to royalty. In the miniatures illustrated by the Master of the Cité des Dames she always wore a blue cotardie and a double-horned headdress covered with a white veil. There is no doubt that she hoped to represent herself with this costume. But what was it she wanted to convey to the presentees or to the general readers by her appearance?
In Le Livre des Trois Vertus ou Le Trésor de la Cité des Dames (1405), a didactic work for women, Christine recommends dress suitable for each level on the social hierarchy and warns against rich and lavish garments. Her simple cotardie without superfluous ornamentation represents exactly her view on dress. At the same time, in Cent Ballades d’amant et de dame (1407-1410) she suggests that blue signifies Loyalty. When she had the illuminator illustrate her own dress, she was sure to keep this popular medieval symbolism in mind.
Although Christine was a widow, she devoted her entire life and energy to writing in the secular world, and actively came in contact with royalty and nobility, and therefore did not wish to reveal her own situation to readers by a black dress. This proponent of women and excellent romantic poet desired to produce a modest image of herself acceptable to court society by a simple cotardie, a simple veil, and the color blue that signifies Loyalty.
