Christine de Pizan at Her Computer reflects my interest in combining historical female icons with contemporary imagery. The work was inspired by the 14th century feminist writer, Christine de Pizan (1364-1430). She was the first woman known to have earned a living from writing. In her Book of the City of Ladies (1405), she argued that women’s education should be equal to man’s*. In the recently published

This image originated as a gouache on paper, which was then transferred onto 100% polyester satin. The image was then embellished with embroidery. Since creating this work I've decided I like the original painting better as an illuminated miniature; it doesn't need to be made tactile. I'm working on a series of gouache paintings, the most recent being Bipolar Depression and Family Support.

Christine de Pisan at Her Computer was published as an illustration in Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, 2007, Knopf .

*Sources of historical info
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Revised: October 2007