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Elizabeth A.Sackler Center for Feminist Art

Diemud

Flourished circa 1057–1130, Bavaria, Germany

Diemud, a nun at the Wessobrunn monastery in Bavaria, was a scribe and illustrator. Her illuminated manuscripts were famous in her lifetime, fetched high prices on the open market, and were often given as gifts to important church officials. Scholars know of at least forty-five volumes by her hand, a remarkable output considering the time-consuming and labor-intensive process involved. For each book, the text had to be hand-copied in calligraphic script and then painstakingly decorated with borders and miniature figures and scenes.