Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History, Series Number 1)

This book covers topics from Laws regarding Women and Women's Economic Role to Religion and Witchcraft. For a 21st century reader some of the ideas are almost comical, unfortunately, it's how people really felt at the time. One particular chapter entitled "The Female Life-Cycle" talks about the mis-understanding of menstruation and thus it was often compared to male nosebleeds or hemorrhoids. Not to mention that menstruation carried a great many religious taboos. Under the chapter of female education there was an interesting topic about women writers of the time period. Since sex of any type was rarely, if ever, discussed, it is very difficult to find any type of writing, but particularly, by a woman which talks about sexual activity. One of my favorite chapters is entitled "Women and the creation of culture" which covers culture as being dominated by religion but how women influenced culture anyway. Female artists of the time are discussed and it is explained how they got away with being artists in a time when it was highly discouraged. Sofonisba Anguissola and Judith Leyster are both discussed and some of their paintings are available in this book. This is an excellent book for research or just general knowledge of women and the time period. All the chapters are interesting and easy to read.