Is the VMS a work of female authors ?

[Koen G]

The VM could have been produced by women, and it could be about women as well. I kind of hope that this is the case, because in my opinion it would make the VM more interesting. The reason I keep opposing the assumption that the VM is made by women though, is that the arguments in favor are really poor and show a limited understanding of medieval iconography. I have especially the likes of Claudette Cohen in mind, who claims that the VM was made by Nordic women because most human figures in the VM are female and blonde.

There is a good example of why the VM nymphs don't have to be the product of female authors in the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. Cary and I discussed in our recent post. It was painted in the 14th century by You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. for the chapter house of the Dominican order. Made by an Italian man, for Italian men. This is the part of the fresco I want to draw attention to:

   

Now let us zoom in - what do you see? Keep in mind that this fresco is explicitly allegorical - one of the names given to it is "Allegory of the Active and Triumphant Church and of the Dominican order". 

   

There are three adults and eleven children at heaven's gate. The tall figures appear to be St. Peter and two angels who are handing out crowns of flowers to those approaching. The children are all or predominantly female and blonde. 

Now, seeing this scene through Claudette Cohen's eyes, the only logical conclusion is that a bunch of Finnish girls died simultaneously and they are now in heaven. However, this does not sound like something di Bonaiuto would paint for the Florentine Dominicans. In the allegorical programme of the fresco, these little girls represent the souls of mankind. Weird as it may seem to us, the monks who had their meetings near this fresco would have seen their own souls as those little girls.