Description
Miniature of the Wheel of Fortune, in “L'Épître Othéaâ€. Christine de Pisan’s “Epître Othéa†is an allegorical reading of different Ovidian tales. The goddess Fortuna is depicted as a blindfolded lady randomly turning her large wheel, in which one can see six human figures: three richly dressed and comfortably seated on it (a crowned king is one of these figures) and three having real trouble trying hard to keep the balance and not fall from it. “Rota Fortunae†represents what happens in personal life and life events, commanded by an unseen and blind force – destiny and fate: the positions of human beings are always changing, and sometimes what happens benefits them and other times it is a misfortune. The Wheel of Fortune reminds mankind of the continuous and unpredictable change of fate and how human power is fragile and ephemeral.
Attribution
Christine de Pizan
Author
Christine de Pizan
Manuscript number
Harley 4431, f. 129
Title
Various works, including "L'Épître Othéa"
Library/Collection
British Library
Bibliography
Charlotte E. Cooper ‘Présences, publics et portraits ambigus du manuscrit British Library, Harley 4431’, Le Moyen Français, vols. 78-79 (2016), pp. 1-15.
Archetype
Wheel of Fortune
