Pope Joan
From Des cleres et nobles femmes, by Robinet Testard, 1488–96
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

Des cleres et nobles femmes ('Of Wise and Noble Women') is a French adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s De mulieribus claris ('On Famous Women'). This poetic collection celebrates the virtues of women, focusing particularly on the wisdom, nobility, and strength of character demonstrated by women from all walks of life. Testard’s text belongs to the wider tradition of European medieval literature, which reflects Boccaccio’s admiration for women, aiming to present them in an idealised and elevated light. Both works highlight the dignity, wisdom, and virtues of women, though each does so within the cultural context of its respective language and region—Boccaccio in Italy and Testard in France. The manuscript is richly illuminated by Testard, whose style is renowned for its fine detail and decorative elements in the Gothic tradition, incorporating influences from earlier artistic movements, including Byzantine and Romanesque art.