Anne de Graville and Women's Literary Networks in Early Modern France (Gallica, 49)

First detailed reconstruction of Anne de Graville's library, establishing her as one of the most well-read and erudite poets of the period. In the 1520s, the French noblewoman Anne de Graville composed two poetic works, based on older, canonical, male-authored texts: Giovanni Boccaccio's Teseida and Alain Chartier's Belle dame sans mercy . The first, the Beau roman , she offered to Claude, queen of France and wife of Francis I, and the second, the Rondeaux , to the king's mother, Louise of Savoy. With the pro-feminine spin of her rewritings, Anne developed the legacy of another woman writer from 100 years earlier, Christine de Pizan, by entering the on-going debate known as the querelle des femmes . Like Christine, Anne sought to redress the negative view of women found in much contemporary popular literature and to offer role models for both men and women at the court of Francis I. This book is the first detailed reconstruction and interpretation of Anne's library and her collecting practice, showing how they relate to her own writings and her literary milieu. It also teases out her links to other women writers of the time interested in the querelle , such as Catherine d'Amboise and Margaret of Navarre. Paying close attention to literary, manuscript, and artistic sources, it establishes Anne's reputation as one of the most erudite poets of the period, and one keenly attuned to the position of women in society as well as to the political sensitivities of the French court. First detailed reconstruction of Anne de Graville'slibrary, establishing her as one of the most well-read and eruditepoets of the period. In the 1520s, the French noblewomanAnne de Graville composed two poetic works, based on older,canonical, male-authored texts: Giovanni Boccaccio'sTeseida and Alain Chartier's Belle dame sansmercy. The first, the Beau roman, she offered toClaude, queen of France and wife of Francis I, and the second, theRondeaux, to the king's mother, Louise of Savoy. With thepro-feminine spin of her rewritings, Anne developed the legacy ofanother woman writer from 100 years earlier, Christine de Pizan, byentering the on-going debate known as the querelle desfemmes. 'Like Christine, Anne sought to redress the negativeview of women found in much contemporary popular literature and tooffer role models for both men and women at the court of Francis I.This book is the first detailed reconstruction and interpretationof Anne's library and her collecting practice, showing how theyrelate to her own writings and her literary milieu. It also teasesout her links to other women writers of the time interested in thequerelle, such as Catherine d'Amboise and Margaret ofNavarre. Paying close attention to literary, manuscript, andartistic sources, it establishes Anne's reputation as one of themost erudite poets of the period, and one keenly attuned to theposition of women in society as well as to the politicalsensitivities of the French court First detailed reconstruction of Anne de Graville's library, establishing her as one of the most well-read and erudite poets of the period. In the 1520s, the French noblewoman Anne de Graville composed two poetic works, based on older, canonical, male-authored texts: Giovanni Boccaccio's Teseida and Alain Chartier's Belle dame sans mercy. The first, the Beau roman, she offered to Claude, queen of France and wife of Francis I, and the second, the Rondeaux, to the king's mother, Louise of Savoy. With the pro-feminine spin of her rewritings, Anne developed the legacy of another woman writer from 100 years earlier, Christine de Pizan, by entering the on-going debate known as the querelle des femmes. Like Christine, Anne sought to redress the negative view of women found in much contemporary popular literature and to offer role models for both men and women at the contemporary court. This book is the first detailed reconstruction and interpretation of Anne's library and her collecting practice, showing how they relate to her own writings and her literary milieu. It also teases out her links to other women writers of the time interested in the querelle, such as Catherine d'Amboise and Margaret of Navarre. Paying close attention to literary, manuscript, and artistic sources, it establishes Anne's reputation as one of the most erudite poets of the period, and one keenly attuned to the position of women in society as well as to the political sensitivities of the French court. Front cover 1 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Acknowledgements 14 A Note on Citations, Translations and Transcriptions 16 Abbreviations 18 Introduction 20 Part I. Anne de Graville: Reader and Collector 42 1 J’en garde un leal: Reconstructing Anne de Graville’s Library 44 2 Translation, Translatio Studii and Self-Fashioning in Anne de Graville's Chaldean Histories 76 3 The Rouen Connection: The Puy, Poetry and Petrarch 95 Part II. From Reading to Writing: Anne as Author 136 4 Musas natura, lachrymas fortuna: Anne de Graville, Christine de Pizan, and Women’s Shaping of the querelle des femmes 138 5 Love, Amazons and Fortune in the Beau roman for Claude of France 179 6 Debating with ‘Maistre Allain’: Chartier, Blois and Poetic Form in the Rondeaux for Louise of Savoy 252 Conclusion: ‘Celle la qui porte le regnon’: A Last Word on Anne de Graville 306 Appendix A: Books Inherited, Acquired, Commissioned by or Associated with Anne de Graville 312 Appendix B Inventory of the d’Urfé Library at La Bâtie, c. 1780 Amsterdam, Universiteitsbibliotheek 323 Appendix C: Manuscripts Containing Works by Anne de Graville 333 Bibliography 336 Index 362 Gallica: Already Published 371