Boccaccio's Des cleres et nobles femmes: Systems of Signification in an Illuminated Manuscript

Buettner (art, Smith College) provides a detailed examination of the French translation of Boccaccio's illuminated manuscript De Mulieribus Claris , known as the Cleres Femmes . After considering the manuscript as a commercial and cultural object, Buettner provides a semiotics-inspired exploration of the iconography of the 109 miniatures. Includes fine reproductions of the entire cycle in b&w, with four color plates. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

An influential Italian writer of the 14th century, Boccaccio wrote a collection of stories on exemplary historical women, De mulieribus claris. A French merchant commissioned a copy as a gift to the duke of Burgundy in 1402. This French version, known as Des cleres et nobles femmes, was beautifully crafted with colorful miniature illustrations depicting story scenes. Using a vast amount of scholarly research and specialized sources, Buettner (art, Smith Coll.) attempts to trace the influences on the art and style of this manuscript. Unfortunately, the text is greatly hindered by awkward and stiff prose. Terms and phrases are used without explanation or translation, severely limiting readership. The dissection of pictorial elements, though more concrete, is limited. Further inhibiting a generalist's interest, of the more than 100 illustrations, only four are in color. Recommended only for large special collections.?Karen Ellis, Baldwin Boettcher Lib., Humble, Tex.
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