Today we talked about the Duke of Berry’s Book Très Riches Heures. In this book, I specifically noticed the Brussels Hours painting which showed the Virgin Mary holding Jesus. This pose and depiction of the Virgin Mary has been a constant throughout the semester so far. She is always shown holding Christ and is presented as a motherly figure. I find this interesting because it hints towards the role of women in society during the Renaissance. They were supposed to be mothers who’s only job was to give birth to the new generation, or in other words, be a motherly figure. A theme of defined gender norms is prevalent in Renaissance art, and I will be looking to see if this continues to be the norm as we progress through the class.