Flore ribaude déesse de florus femme de zephyrus · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Flore ribaude déesse de florus femme de zephyrus
Subject: Prostitution; Gods; Goddesses; Roman Mythology; Important Women; Famous Women; Flora
Period: 1450-1500;
Geographic: Italy; Ancient Rome
Description: This illumination depicts a portrait of a woman named Flora. Flora was a famous prostitute in Rome who was incredibly wealthy. She is illustrated in this image with her breasts exposed to signify her status as a prostitute. Boccaccio explains that Flora used her wealth to have annual games held in her honour. He also explains that the Roman senate did not want a prostitute being honoured, so they fabricated a story which describes Flora being married to the wind, Zephyrus, who made her a goddess of flowers and trees. There are trees illustrated in the background of the illumination to signify her connection to this story.
Image Creator: Robinet Testard (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:18074
Language: frm
Source Name: Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme [Boccaccio, The cleric and noble women, anonymous French translation]
Parent Collection: Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme. Illuminations by Robinet Testard (1488-1496)
Image: mta_18074_OBJ.jpg