Book Reviews by Valentina S . Grub
Conference Presentations by Valentina S . Grub
This paper explores how embroidery has been used in films to establish, and often destroy, femini... more This paper explores how embroidery has been used in films to establish, and often destroy, feminine space and autonomy. However, the most recent addition to the medieval film canon represents a distinct change in this trend. (This paper was presented at the Borderlines XIX Conference at Queen's University, Belfast on April 12, 2015).
Medieval manuscript studies have been of increasing interest to the academe in recent years, and ... more Medieval manuscript studies have been of increasing interest to the academe in recent years, and within the next year a book and an exhibition on opus anglicanum (English embroidery made between c. 1250-1350) are planned. Yet there has been little to no scholarship on how these two 'minor arts' intersect and interact. I am currently exploring records showing that there is evidence that some individuals were involved in both. In particular, mention of two nuns who were known as embroiderers and illuminators. I will look at both archival and artistic similarities, focusing on works between c. 1250-1350, when the English embroidery trade was at its height.
Papers by Valentina S . Grub
Transactions of the Burgon Society, Oct 20, 2022
Transactions of the Burgon Society
In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he ex... more In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he exclaimed; "England is for us surely a garden of delights, truly an inexhaustible well; and from there where so many things abound..." Embroidery made between 1200-1350 in England, known as opus anglicanum, was internationally recognized, traded, gifted, collected, and coveted. The technical skill combined with a distinct aesthetic resulted in an iconic textile brand. Though first described as a brand in the context of contemporary imitated textiles, I extend this understanding by close visual analyses and archival readings. "Opus anglicanum: The Visual Language, Liturgical Rituals, and Gifting of a Medieval English Brand" argues for a quadripartite examination of the opus anglicanum brand, grounded in luxury brand theory. I articulate the technical and aesthetic hallmarks of the brand by examining archival records of embroiderers and the specific aspects of their work which differentiated opus anglicanum from other contemporary textile decorations. I then evaluate the opus anglicanum brand aesthetic by a close visual reading of its background designs and popular motifs, through which emerges the enduring relationship between manuscript illumination and embroidery design. As the majority of extant opus anglicanum textiles are ecclesiastic vestments, I then assess these textiles in the context of contemporary liturgical writings and rituals. As archival evidence indicates, opus anglicanum textiles were often presented as gifts. Therefore, I conclude by studying the effect of medieval English embroidery in the context of gift-giving rituals. This dissertation, while grounded in both medieval and modern scholarship, reevaluates these textiles and argues that the enduring legacy of opus anglicanum is due to its identity as a medieval brand.
In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he ex... more In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he exclaimed; "England is for us surely a garden of delights, truly an inexhaustible well; and from there where so many things abound..." Embroidery made between 1200-1350 in England, known as opus anglicanum, was internationally recognized, traded, gifted, collected, and coveted. The technical skill combined with a distinct aesthetic resulted in an iconic textile brand. Though first described as a brand in the context of contemporary imitated textiles, I extend this understanding by close visual analyses and archival readings. "Opus anglicanum: The Visual Language, Liturgical Rituals, and Gifting of a Medieval English Brand" argues for a quadripartite examination of the opus anglicanum brand, grounded in luxury brand theory. I articulate the technical and aesthetic hallmarks of the brand by examining archival records of embroiderers and the specific aspects of their work which differentiated opus anglicanum from other contemporary textile decorations. I then evaluate the opus anglicanum brand aesthetic by a close visual reading of its background designs and popular motifs, through which emerges the enduring relationship between manuscript illumination and embroidery design. As the majority of extant opus anglicanum textiles are ecclesiastic vestments, I then assess these textiles in the context of contemporary liturgical writings and rituals. As archival evidence indicates, opus anglicanum textiles were often presented as gifts. Therefore, I conclude by studying the effect of medieval English embroidery in the context of gift-giving rituals. This dissertation, while grounded in both medieval and modern scholarship, reevaluates these textiles and argues that the enduring legacy of opus anglicanum is due to its identity as a medieval brand.
Transactions of the Burgon Society, 2020
This work aims to briefly outline the history of academic dress in the Middle East and Maghreb fr... more This work aims to briefly outline the history of academic dress in the Middle East and Maghreb from ancient times until the present. Fellowship in the Burgon Society was awarded on the merits of this dissertation.
Transactions of the Burgon Society, 2020
This work aims to briefly outline the history of academic dress in the Middle East and Maghreb fr... more This work aims to briefly outline the history of academic dress in the Middle East and Maghreb from ancient times until the present. Fellowship in the Burgon Society was awarded on the merits of this dissertation.
Artifice, n. 1. Human skill or workmanship as opposed to nature or a natural phenomenon. 2. Skill... more Artifice, n. 1. Human skill or workmanship as opposed to nature or a natural phenomenon. 2. Skill in devising and using expedients; artfulness, cunning, trickery. -Oxford English Dictionary These definitions of artifice contrasts human workmanship with the natural, leaving us with the dichotomy of nature versus humanity. But is art really the opposite of nature, or is there a way to bridge these two disparate domains? How do artists, curators, or collectors navigate the divide? How did viewers and creators of art approach this issue in the past, and is it even relevant question today? The editors of the North Street Review welcome submissions on this topic from postgraduates in Art History courses. Works between 3,000-5,000 words must be submitted to [email protected] by 1 December, 2016 to be considered for publication in Spring 2017. Please format the document as a docx., adhere to Chicago style citations, and include a brief biography, with your name and affiliated institute. The North Street Review is a peer-reviewed post-graduate journal published by the School of Art History and Museum and Galleries Studies at the University of St. Andrews. Now in its twenty-first year, it has gone through many incarnations and is now a fully digital
In the dark and mediaeval ages, time was of no account. Skilled labor, such as was needed for … i... more In the dark and mediaeval ages, time was of no account. Skilled labor, such as was needed for … illuminations and embroideries, was freely given as the duty of a life. The cloistered men and women worked for no wages; neither to benefit themselves nor their descendants; hardly for fame – that was given to the convent which had the credit of patronizing and producing art, while the very name of the artist was forgotten...[based on a paper given at St. Louis University in 2015]
Thesis Chapters by Valentina S . Grub
University of St Andrews, 2020
In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he ex... more In 1246, when Pope Innocent IV saw embroidered copes and mitres which were made in England, he exclaimed; "England is for us surely a garden of delights, truly an inexhaustible well; and from there where so many things abound..." Embroidery made between 1200-1350 in England, known as opus anglicanum, was internationally recognized, traded, gifted, collected, and coveted. The technical skill combined with a distinct aesthetic resulted in an iconic textile brand. Though first described as a brand in the context of contemporary imitated textiles, I extend this understanding by close visual analyses and archival readings.
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Book Reviews by Valentina S . Grub
Conference Presentations by Valentina S . Grub
Papers by Valentina S . Grub
Thesis Chapters by Valentina S . Grub