Dionisia Pictrix was one of the ladies who lived in my village in the 13th century (she lived very near to where I do now), and she's mentioned only in the Cartulary of the local Priory. We also have a 13th century Doom Painting on the wall of the village church (once the Priory church). Dionisia, as her name suggests, was a painter (and a woman, therefore a rarity). In the corner of the Doom Painting (in Hell, in other words) is a spinning wheel, and I doubt any bloke would have painted such a thing, let alone consigned it to Hell. In the centre of the painting is a very ordinary lady rising from her coffin - no crowns, no flowing robes, but she IS wearing a very time-worn something. She shouldn't be in the centre.
My suspicion is that it was Dionisia who did most of the Doom Painting work, and that figure in the centre is her signature.
Yes - I'm fascinated by Dionisia
Mike
EDIT: Sorry - not 13th century at all, but 1300s - i.e. 14th century
