Editing Christine de Pizan (section)

== Works ==
[[File:Harley MS 4431 knights jousting Pizan.png|thumb|300px|right|Detail of a miniature of ladies watching [[knights]] [[jousting]], illustrating 'Le Duc des vrais amants', from a collection of works presented in 1414 by Christine to [[Isabeau of Bavaria]].{{sfn|Biggs|2013}}]]
[[File:Meister der 'Cité des Dames' 002.jpg|thumb|300px|right|upright=1.2|[[Illuminated manuscript|Illumination]] from ''[[The Book of the City of Ladies]]''. Christine is shown before the personifications of Rectitude, Reason, and Justice in her study, and working alongside Justice to build the 'Cité des dames'.{{sfn|Biggs|2013}}]]
Christine produced a large number of vernacular works, in both prose and verse. Her works include political treatises, [[mirrors for princes]], epistles, and poetry. Christine's book ''Le Dit de la Rose'' (''The Tale of the Rose'') was published in 1402 as a direct attack on [[Jean de Meun]]'s extremely popular book ''Romance of the Rose'' which was a continuation of the version by Guillaume de Lorris and characterised women as seducers. Christine claimed that Meun's views were misogynistic, vulgar, immoral, and slanderous to women. Christine sparked a debate over the literary merits of the work when she confronted the royal secretary, Jean de Montreuil, who had written a short treatise praising the work. The debate continued between Christine and two other male royal secretaries who defended Jean in a heated exchange.{{sfn|Bourgault|Kingston|2018|p=xx}} At the height of the exchange Christine published ''Querelle du Roman de la Rose'' (''Letters on the Debate of the Rose'').{{sfn|Chicago et al.|1979}} In this particular apologetic response, Christine belittles her own writing style, employing a rhetorical strategy by writing against the grain of her meaning, also known as [[antiphrasis]].{{sfn|Redfern|1995|p=80}}

By 1405, Christine had completed her most famous literary works, ''[[The Book of the City of Ladies]]'' (''Le Livre de la cité des dames'') and ''[[The Treasure of the City of Ladies]]'' (''Le Livre des trois vertus''). The first of these shows the importance of women's past contributions to society, and the second strives to teach women of all estates how to cultivate useful qualities.{{sfn|Willard|1984|p=135}}

In ''The Book of the City of Ladies'' Christine created a symbolic city in which women are appreciated and defended. She constructed three allegorical figures – Reason, Justice, and Rectitude – in the common pattern of literature in that era when many books and poetry used stock allegorical figures to express ideas or emotions. She enters into a dialogue, a movement between question and answer, with these allegorical figures that is from a completely female perspective.{{sfn|Campbell|2003|p=6}} Together, they create a forum to speak on issues of consequence to all women. Only female voices, examples and opinions provide evidence within this text. Through Lady Reason in particular Christine argues that stereotypes of women can be sustained only if women are prevented from entering into the conversation.{{sfn|Campbell|2003|p=7}}

In ''City of Ladies'' Christine deliberated on the debate of whether the virtues of men and women differ, a frequently debated topic in late [[medieval Europe]], particularly in the context of [[Aristotelian ethics|Aristotelian virtue ethics]] and his [[Aristotle's views on women|views on women]].{{sfn|Bejczy|2011|pp=1–2}} Christine repeatedly used the theological argument that men and women are created in God's image and both have souls capable of embracing God's goodness. Among the inhabitants of the ''City of Ladies'' are female saints, women from the [[Old Testament]] and virtuous women from the pagan antiquity as portrayed by [[Giovanni Boccaccio]].{{sfn|Bejczy|2011|pp=10–11}} Within her allegorical city of illustrious ladies, she reimagines the mythological figure, [[Medusa]]. Christine de Pizan's Medusa, in stark contrast to the typical portrayal in classical texts, is not a monstrous and deadly creature, but a woman deserving of safety from male harm. De Pizan is the first to provide a feminist revisionist perspective of the ancient myth.

In ''The Treasure of the City of Ladies'' Christine addressed the "community" of women with the stated objective of instructing them on the means of achieving [[virtue]]. She took the position that all women were capable of humility, diligence and moral rectitude, and that duly educated women could become worthy residents of the imaginary ''City of Ladies''. Drawing on her own life, Christine advised women on how to navigate the perils of early 15th-century French society.{{sfn|Redfern|1995|p=73}} She was a strong advocate of education for women, having said "If it were customary to send little girls to school and to teach them the same subjects as are taught boys, they would learn just as fully and would understand the subtleties of all arts and sciences".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miles |first=Rosalind |title=Who Cooked the Last Supper? The Women's History of the World |date=2007 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=978-0-609-80695-1 |location=Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar}}</ref> With reference to [[Augustine of Hippo]] and other saints Christine offered advice on how the noble lady could achieve the love of God. Christine speaks through the allegorical figures of God's daughters – Reason, Rectitude and Justice – who represent the Three Virtues most important to women's success. Through secular examples of these three virtues, Christine urged women to discover meaning and achieve worthy acts in their lives. Christine argued that women's success depends on their ability to manage and mediate by speaking and writing effectively.{{sfn|Redfern|1995|p=74}}

Christine specifically sought out other women to collaborate in the creation of her work. She makes special mention of a manuscript illustrator we know only as [[Anastasia (artist)|Anastasia]], whom she described as the most talented of her day.{{sfn|Ripley|2019}}