Moralisée

Moralisée is the feminine singular form of the French past participle moralisé, derived from the verb moraliser (to moralize). In general usage, moralisée functions as an adjective describing texts, images, or practices that are intended to present or enforce moral lessons, often by framing content in a didactic or allegorical way.

Historically, the term is associated with medieval and early modern didactic traditions in which literature and art were combined to teach Christian morality. Works described as moralisées typically embed moral interpretation alongside narrative or visual content, aiming to guide readers or viewers in ethical reflection.

A prominent example is the Bible moralisée, a 13th-century illuminated manuscript cycle produced in Paris. The Bible moralisée presents biblical scenes with accompanying allegorical and ethical commentary in French and Latin, and is regarded as a landmark in medieval illustrated teaching literature. The use of moralisée in scholarship often denotes this kind of text–image fusion designed to convey moral lessons.

In contemporary usage, moralisée remains primarily a historical descriptor within literary and art-historical contexts and is less common outside scholarly French. It can describe other works that have been “moralized” or reframed to emphasize ethical messages.

See also: Bible moralisée; moralisation; moralizing literature.