The women believed reaching spirituality was through food, since naturally they were food from their ability to breastfeed. The Medieval women associated the breast as seen in Holy mother, Mary's own breastfeeding as a Eucharistic feeding of the soul. The painting also indicates that to the Female saints of the Middle Ages, prayer was an important element in their connection to God. In the "The life and Miracles of Saint Godelieve," Godelieve makes prayer requests and offerings of food to God, that are answered by angels who bring delicacies for the poor.

Annotated Bibliography

Amy Hollywood. "Sensible Ecstasy: Mysticism, Sexual Difference, and the Demands of History (Religion and Postmodernism)," University of Chicago Press, (2002).

This article carries out an analysis of anthropological studies of the medieval times, and looks into the connection of the body, the soul and physical ascetic practices among middle ages saints. The article shows how these cultural practices influence the state of the soul. This article is important for this research for it provides a basis of the concept that food practices among medieval female saints projected their asceticism of religion.

Counihan Carole, M. "The Anthropology of Food and Body: Gender, Meaning and Power," Routledge, (1999).

This book was used as a source for it specifically focuses on the concepts of food and body to medieval saints. The book makes extensive reference to anthropologists like Bynum Fragmentation and Redemption: Essays on Gender and the Human body in Medieval Religion (1992) on medieval religious practices. Of interest for this research was the discussion on the different practices between male and female saints.

Hanson, Sarah E. "Connections Between Body and Soul: The Asceticism of Medieval Saints," The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal, (2009). 23-33. http://www.urop.uci.edu/journal/journal09/03_hanson.pdf.

The article is closely linked to the topic of he paper for it explores in depth the different perspective on the cultural and spiritual practices of medieval saints. Of interest is the exploration of the contribution of the body, soul, and food to spiritual practice especially among...

"From Van Eyck to Bruegel: Early Netherlands Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art," Metropolitan Museum of Art (1998).
This is a book authored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and discusses in detail the context, origin, and meaning of artwork. The main focus is the analysis of "The Life and Miracles of Saint Godelieve," the depiction of characters and their contribution to the theme of the artwork. The interpretation made by the authors of the painting are used to make an analysis of the artwork along with building the discussion.

Ross Leslie. "Medieval Art: A Topical Dictionary," Greenwood Publishing Group, (1996).

Ross explores the concepts of medieval art, it place in the Medieval Ages' social and political context. The author discusses the meaning of the theme of nurturing in medieval women and food. Of interest is the analysis of the painting "The Holy Family" which is used in comparison with the main artwork under analysis in the research.

There was increased interest in the saints and their cult in the late 15th century. This led to the new form of altarpiece depicted in the details of saints' lives in episodes and dramatic narrative styles. This altarpiece (The Life and Miracles of Saint Godelieve) illustrates the events in the life of Godelieve. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maryan Ainsworth A., & Keith, Christiansen. "From Van Eyck to Bruegel: Early Netherlands Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art," Metropolitan Museum of Art (1998), p.125)

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maryan Ainsworth A., & Keith, Christiansen. "From Van Eyck to Bruegel," (1998), p.126.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maryann Ainsworth A., & Keith, Christiansen. "From Van Eyck to Bruegel," (1998), p.126.

Ibid. p.127.

Counihan Carole, M. "The Anthropology of Food and Body: Gender, Meaning and Power," Routledge, (1999), p.98.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maryann Ainsworth A., & Keith, Christiansen. "From Van Eyck to Bruegel," (1998), p.127.

Counihan Carole, M. "The Anthropology of Food," Routledge, (1999), p.98.