Matilda of Tuscany

How often is a woman the dominant figure in medieval art? In this illustration, made around 1115, Matilda, countess of Tuscany, towers above the king (Henry IV) and upstages the abbot of Cluny (Hugh). Matilda was a key supporter of Pope Gregory VII. It was at her castle at Canossa that Henry IV did penance. The words underneath the picture emphasize Henry’s abjection. They read: “The king begs the abbot and supplicates Matilda as well.” (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, The Vatican, Italy / Flammarion / Bridgeman Images.)