{"product_id":"9780889203655","title":"The Female Crucifix: Images of St. Wilgefortis since the Middle Ages","description":"\u003cp\u003eFeaturing more than twenty illustrations, including several works of art that were rediscovered by the author and are published here for the first time, \u003ci\u003eThe Female Crucifix: Images of St. Wilgefortis Since the Middle Ages\u003c\/i\u003e provides a new perspective on a very old phenomenon. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe legendary bearded female St. Wilgefortis, also known by a variety of other names including “Kummernis” and “Uncumber,” was the object of fervent veneration in areas of Western and Central Europe for almost half a millennium. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeginning in the fifteenth century, the legend of her dramatic transformation from a beautiful, privileged princess into a bearded, Christlike martyr on the cross inspired scores of paintings, sculptures, poems, prayers and shrines in her honour all across Europe. In spite of frequent opposition by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, her cult of veneration at one point nearly rivaled that of the Virgin Mary in some parts of Europe. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this informative and groundbreaking new book, Professor Ilse E. Friesen examines the phenomenon of St. Wilgefortis from an art historical perspective, tracing the origins of depictions of the saint from an early medieval Italian statue known as \u003ci\u003eVolto Santo\u003c\/i\u003e , or “holy face,” through the emergence of increasingly feminized crucifixes over the course of the subsequent centuries. In particular, Professor Friesen focuses on an analysis of paintings, sculptures and frescoes originating in the German-speaking regions of Bavaria and Tyrol, where the veneration of the saint attained its peak. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith its emphasis on art as situated in the context of religion, spirituality, mythology, popular literature and gender relations, this book will have wide appeal. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilfrid Laurier University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47027820527856,"sku":"9780889203655","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780889203655_p0.jpg?v=1763865485","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780889203655","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}