Helisenne De Crenne: At the Crossroads of Renaissance Humanism and Feminism

This study, the first book-length assessment of de Crenne, delineates both her conceptual framework and her stylistic concerns. It situates her in the framework of her times and views her as a woman on the cutting edge of her era who both exploited and innovated literary tradition. The book shows how de Crenne’s four works simultaneously reflects a humanist’s interest in classical themes, medieval mastery of the allegorical form, and a feminist’s zeal for the equality of women.