SS. Ulrich and Afra 

Claricia, a female artist from around 1200, created this image of Saints Ulrich and Afra, probably in a German convent, using ink and tempera on parchment. This page from a psalter invites us to consider the roles available to women within religious institutions of the High Middle Ages. Claricia’s presence, literally, within the initial ‘C’ of this book’s opening prayer, would have been highly unusual. As an artist, she offers us a glimpse into a world where women could find creative outlets within the confines of the cloister. The choice of Saints Ulrich and Afra, patrons of Augsburg, speaks to the local concerns of the community for whom this book was made. We can interpret her almost defiant self-portrait as a claim to agency and a subtle challenge to the male-dominated artistic world. By studying the artistic practices of medieval convents and the biographies of women like Claricia, we gain a richer understanding of the social and institutional contexts that shaped artistic production in the Middle Ages.