Experience Life as a 15th-Century Woman Illuminator
Thanks, WordPress, for the fantastic prompt!
Honestly? I’d love to step into the shoes of my SCA persona, Jehanne Bening, and experience a day in her world. The more I research her time and place, the more I find myself wishing I could actually be there.
Jehanne is a 15th-century illuminator working in Ghent and Bruges, carving out her place in a male-dominated craft. She starts as an apprentice and rises to a journeyman in Simon Bening’s famed workshop. Picture it—brushes, rich pigments, and the shimmer of gold leaf. Imagine the quiet intensity of a workshop filled with masterful hands. They are creating breathtaking manuscripts. That alone would be incredible to witness! But then… my curiosity snowballed.
If I could be Jehanne for a day, I wouldn’t just see the world around her—I’d feel it. The chill of a Bruges morning fills the air. The scent of parchment and ink in the workshop where she works. The sounds of the bustling marketplace surround when I shop. There is a weight of expectation as Jehanne perfects a miniature. It wouldn’t be about what she wore, used, or painted—it would be about how she lived. Her routine, her relationships, the ever-changing world swirling around her.
And what a world it was! The late 15th and early 16th centuries were a whirlwind of change. Just imagine experiencing:
- The politics of being a female illuminator in a prestigious family workshop.
- The decline of Bruges as Antwerp rose to prominence.
- The printing press shaking up the manuscript industry.
- The Protestant Reformation stirring religious tensions.
- The wars shaping economies, patrons, and artistic commissions.
- The Duchy of Burgundy navigating its new role within the Holy Roman Empire.
Of course, it wouldn’t all be serious. I’d get to fully nerd out over the beauty of Bruges. I could meet the fascinating people of the era. Best of all, I would grab an ale at Café Vlissinghe. (Which, by the way, is still open today!)
So why would I want to be Jehanne? Because living her life, even for just a day, would be even more immersive than writing about her. It’s one thing to imagine her world—it’s another to step into it. And that, to me, is history at its most exciting.