Hortus Deliciarum facsimile Tab.12

The image displays the members of a 12th-century convent arranged in six horizontal rows, with each woman's head and shoulders visible and identified by an inscription. At the bottom right, Abbess Herrad is depicted at a larger scale holding a scroll of Latin verse addressed to her community. The bottom of the composition features a green stylized hill representing Mount Hohenburg, decorated with leafy plants.

As a page from the 'Hortus Deliciarum', this work represents the first encyclopedia written by a woman, designed to provide a comprehensive education in theology, natural philosophy, and the liberal arts. It reflects the 12th-century philosophical tradition of 'Theoria' (divine contemplation) and the use of the 'garden' as a metaphor for organized, sacred knowledge.