The subject of this article is the emphasis placed upon doctrine by the Parisian publisher Anthoine Vérard in the 1497 edition of Christine de Pizan's Trésor de la cité des dames [Treasury of the City of Ladies] that he dedicated to Anne de Bretagne. This emphasis is noticeable both at the beginning of the text and in the dedication miniature heading that text. I am interested in the ways in which Vérard reframes Christine's original use of doctrine in order to promote his own commercial success. The reigning expert on Vérard, Mary Beth Winn, observes that with over 280 editions to his credit, his record of productivity is an enviable achievement for any publisher of his time or ours. By 1497, the book trade had already made Vérard a wealthy man. I argue that through his manipulation of the term and the visual representation of doctrine, Vérard positions himself as intermediary between Christine and Anne. In so doing, he establishes himself as a propagator of Christian doctrine to the French monarchy, headed at this time by King Charles VIII and his wife Anne, ‘royne de France tres chrestienne’ [most Christian queen of France], as the publisher calls her in his dedication. While displacing Christine's authority, Vérard also collaborates with it, precisely by continuing her efforts to establish a solid basis for the ‘most Christian’ monarchy in the enduring virtue of its ladies. The publisher would be encouraging Anne to reform herself and her court according to the doctrine, that is to say, teaching, provided to her by himself, by her confessors, and by former advisors to royalty such as Christine de Pizan (c.1364–c.1430) and Jean Gerson (1364–1429). Acclaimed as the ‘doctor christianissimus’ [most Christian doctor], Gerson was the Parisian theologian and preacher who had joined forces with Christine in censuring the Roman de la Rose (hereafter Rose). I contend that several generations later, Vérard forged his own intellectual alliance with Christine, and that this alliance played a large part in assuring his commercial success.

Doctrine in Vérard's Trésor de la cité des dames

The Trésor de la cité des dames (hereafter Trésor) is Vérard's version of the text that Christine had called Le Livre des Trois Vertus [The Book of the Three Virtues].