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Picturing a World

Medieval woman rides astride

Not much point to posting this image from the bottom of a medieval Book of Hours, except that it's interesting to see a 14thC woman depicted riding astride. I'll add that I like the quizzical look on her face, the big-headed horse who seems to have thoughts of his own, and the preening merlin (the hunting hawk appropriate for a lady). Make of it what you will!

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On horseback, in pants

For my work-in-progress, I’ve been reading the autobiography of journalist Ida M. Tarbell, All in the Day’s Work. In 1892 for a McClure’s Magazine article, Tarbell interviewed the French archeologist and writer Jane Henriette Magre Dieulafoy, who with her husband Marcel worked on excavations in Persia.  Read More 
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Equestriénne

When I first came across this painting, I thought of Cornelia Renick, who had been a rider. Here was her outfit. Then I learned that the woman in the painting was Carolus-Duran’s sister-in-law, the actress Sophie Croizette, a star of the Comédie Française. Yippee! Cornelia presses Edward to attend her garden party by dangling Croizette’s attendance as bait. Edward remembers having seen an engraving of this very painting. Since I made up Edward’s magazine, the engraving is fictional—though if anyone knows of a real one, please tell us about it in a comment! Read More 
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