Von Johanne anglica papstin · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Von Johanne anglica papstin
Subject: Famous Women; Pope John; Joan; Popes; Important Women
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Vatican City; Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: In order to follow her lover to England as he attended school, a maiden named Joan disguised herself as a man and went to school with her lover. Joan had excelled in academics and became incredibly knowledgeable. Continuing to dress as a man, Joan went to Rome and was elected to succeed as Pope, known as Pope John. No one had known she was a woman, however, she ended up having a love affair which resulted in pregnancy. This engraving depicts Joan, dressed as Pope John laying on the ground with her legs open as she gives birth to a child. There are other ecclesiastics surrounding her as they look disgusted that she is giving birth as a Pope. Pope John (Joan), was thrown into a dungeon where she would die.
Image Creator: Anonymous (Engraver)
Type: Text; Woodcut Engraving
Identifier: mta:18067
Language: ger
Source Name: Hyenach volget der kurcz syn von ettlichen frauen von denen johannes boccacius in latein beschriben hat und doctor heinricus stainhöwel geteütschet [Following the short stories of several women of which Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in Latin, and doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel translated]
Parent Collection: 1473 Augsburg
Image: mta_18067_OBJ.png