Thomasse (fl. 1292)

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Thomasse (fl. 1292)

Book illustrator and innkeeper of Paris. Flourished in 1292 in Paris.

Thomasse, a professional manuscript illuminator of Paris, was an exceptionally talented artist, well respected for her work. Very little is known about her, except that in addition to her career as a painter she also owned and managed a Parisian inn and tavern. Her life reveals the opportunities available to urban women, who were often forced to rely solely on themselves for support; this was especially true if they remained unmarried or were widowed, since governments and churches provided little in the way of welfare for these women.

Laura York , Riverside, California

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