Famed French scholar and medieval literature expert to visit APSU April 4th

Clarksville, TN – About 700 years ago in Medieval France, several artists began producing extremely political works of art.

Looking upon their paintings or writings today, it may seem that these individuals were simply depicting religious scenes from the Bible, but the scenes they picked were meant to influence society’s views on governance.

That’s why so many references to King Solomon, with his reputation as a wise judge, appeared in this period.

According to the book “Textual and Visual Representations of Power and Justice in Medieval France,” these artists “aimed to show that the pen and paintbrush could aspire to being as mighty as the sword wielded by Lady Justice herself.”

Dr. Bernard Ribémont, one of the book’s editors and a renowned French scholar of medieval literature and culture, will visit the United States next month and present two free lectures on April 4th in Austin Peay State University’s Morgan University Center, Room 303.

The first lecture, “The Judgment of King Solomon in Medieval Culture,” will begin at 1:00pm, with Ribémont discussing his topic in English. The second lecture, “Le Théâtre medieval,” will begin at 2:30pm, with the famed scholar speaking in French.

At 3:30pm, the University will host a Meet and Greet with Ribémont, and provide information about the APSU-Université d’Orléans Exchange program.

Ribémont is a professor of the History of Medieval Literature and Culture at Université d’Orléans in France, and vice president for International Relations at that institution. He is the founder of the Journal of Medieval and Humanistic Studies, and he has published 13 books, edited 21 volumes and written more than 150 articles.

For more information on his visit, contact Dr. Karen Sorenson, APSU professor of French, at sorensonk@apsu.edu