Deconstructing the Image of the Romantic Knight and Gender Power Relations in Medieval Art: From Glory to Misogyny

This paper investigates how the representation of knights in medieval art changed over time, from chivalrous symbols of heroism and honour, to embodiers of power, domination and misogyny. Early representations of knights depicted their role as defenders of the realm and virgins, while later works began hiring them as defenders of patriarchy and enforcers of gender inequality. The analysis is built on an in-depth research of illuminated manuscripts, frescoes and tapestries. The data helps us understand the representation of the knight through the lens of the social construction that placed women at the margins of the society and reinforced male authority. In relation to this, the ambivalence between the knight and the damsel is analysed, as well as the subsequent shift from the idealised knightly representation to an ambiguous and violent one. The analysis of the evolution of the knightly representation shows that the ideal image concealed the deeper societal and personal issues, the main being the subordination of women, and the role that art had in reflecting and legitimising this sexual oppression.