Is the VMS a work of female authors ?

[R. Sale]

If we start from a neutral position, what evidence is there that the author was male? Do all the little nymphs indicate that the artist is masculine because of their general nuditly? It can be seen either way.

On the other hand, it has been too easy to presume that everything is of masculine origins, and anything potentially feminine has to be proven thrice over. The C-14 dates are clearly coincident with an era of rising feminine empowerment exemplified by everything from Christine de Pisa to Colette of Corbie, from Melusine to the Woman Clothed in the Sun and Standing on the Moon, to the rise of Mariology. And after the French defeat at Agincourt, there were fewer men left to rule. There is the possibility of female artists and scribes who could make a book.

The illustration above still demonstrates an image where size is determined by status. So all the smaller, nubile figures are not children, but souls - as you say later. All souls are beautiful, young and blonde. What is the correct Latin: Are the 'anima'? Therefore, it seems more likely to me that this is a part of the "cultural background" being represented, rather than something intended to specify the artist's gender. And that cultural background applies to the VMs. It is something that clearly would be modified by gender, but convincing evidence in the VMs is still lacking.

[Koen G]

In this case, the difference in size is not to show any hierarchy. It is to show the soul in a childlike way. For the same reason they are blond: innocent, naive, untarnished. One could make a case for the VM nymphs to have at least some childlike properties. That is, they have the appearance of adults, but the proportions of children (I blogged about this long ago, it has to do with the amount of "heads" the body is tall).

To be perfectly clear, I don't think there are any arguments in favor of male authors for the VM either. The point I'm trying to get across is that it is silly right now to argue in favor of either gender: we have no good arguments for either.

[Koen G]

Forgot to add: there is actually proof within the fresco that the souls are depicted as children. On the right (at His left-hand side) there are children dancing to music. The bagpipe player is similarly tall, though there is no reason why his size would express a hierarchy: he is an adult and they are kids.

   

(This is the "worldly" side of the fresco where, according to the Dominicans' views, people were having too much fun).

[Gab19]

I also think VM was written by a group of women but not bcs I am a woman :-)
The number of appearances of so called “nymphs” is usually used as a main reason but I think we should also look at certain qualities/aspects of those images. 

Personally I prefer to call them “women” rather than “nymphs” as the latter suggests the manuscript to be an unrealistic text located in phantasy land. Women in VM are designed with physical details so good sometimes that we can guess even their age - double chins or slim faces with red chicks, high breasts or those descending due to age, bells turgid or not, and so on. It tells us that who designed them, knew women’s bodies very well. You could say  - a male doctor would know them. Yes, but how, in that case to explain that the few male figures in VM are designed without genitals? They seem some asexual mannequins. A male physician would design them with details too - there are many examples of medical manuals in Middle Ages depicting male figures with all physical due details. 

But a group of women living together and not married (yes, I think there is a high probability that VM was written in a convent) would be reluctant to design a man with details. Maybe even unable bcs of, let’s call it - personal knowledge of a man’s body?

[Koen G]

 physical details so good sometimes that we can guess even their age - double chins or slim faces with red chicks, high breasts or those descending due to age, bells turgid or not, and so on.

This is an important point, but there is more to take into consideration here. Whether by choice or lack of skill, the VM isn't particularly strong on anatomy. The bull's hind legs bend the wrong way. The lobsters' legs are on their tails instead of their body. The female figures themselves are on average 4.3 heads tall, while adults tend to be between 7 and 8 heads tall. They have the proportions of children.



As for the breasts themselves, they are certainly "imperfect", but so is everything else. In some cases, they look like a 12 year old boy's conception of what breasts should look like, two circles on the chest. In some cases, they are defying gravity all the way up in the figure's neck. 

   

[Gab19]

Lack of drawing skills is obvious - no doubts about it. However, isn’t it curious that famale figures, however badly designed, are full of anatomic details while the male are not? 

Anyway, I have to partially contradict myself - I just found one male figure with genitals! Unbelievable! 
   

[davidjackson]

There's also a male chasing a female in one of the zodiac pages, Iirc. Top right.

[Koen G]

Isn't that the one?

[davidjackson]

My apologies, I meant Balnealogical section, not Zodical. f80r.

[Juan_Sali]

Lack of drawing skills is obvious - no doubts about it. However, isn’t it curious that famale figures, however badly designed, are full of anatomic details while the male are not? 

Anyway, I have to partially contradict myself - I just found one male figure with genitals! Unbelievable! 

If I am not wrong, it is a detail of f71v-r3, in june. It could be Apollo, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. 
Apollo is the God of sun and light. He could represent the starting of the summer along with the summer solstice.