Kiera Fils-Aime
Art and Women
07 March 2017
The Start of Something New
Luckily for some women, the Middle Ages was a time of opportunities. They were still in charge of the domestic/private life at home while men played the public figures such as legal rights and ownerships. Typically during this time period, women's societal roles varied from being an artist, a nun, a mother/wife, or even running a kingdom while their husband was at war. As for artists, they usually worked for businesses owned by male family members and rarely ever signed their work. As a nun, women would live in covenant with other women which freed them from domestic duties to a life of religious devotion instead. They were very successful to the point that they had their own businesses and even wrote their own scholarly books and claimed they had connections with God which gave them power within the church. The picture directly below depicts the nuns of the time. On the other hand, women who were simply mothers and wives typically stayed domesticated. Some women such as Christine De Pizan decided to make a difference. As a single mom, she was able to become a writer, "First she became a copyist of other written works, then she began writing poems, ballads, and allegories for aristocratic patrons" (Guerilla Girls 23). Regardless of the fact that women were submissive, Pizan was very brave for tackling such a position in which she had to make her voice heard through her art work.
 |
| Pintrest, "Habits" |
Further along, during the Renaissance period, more opportunities for women came about. For instance, a city in Italy known as "Bologna" admitted women into their university and were able to study topics such as law and philosophy. Later, artist such as Elisabetta Sirani founded schools for other women artists. Because she was often accused of copying her father's work, Elisabetta started painting in public in order to put an end to the rumors. Overall, it is arguable that women gained more freedom during this time because not only could they go to school, but also they obtained freedom to do things like divorcing a husband and wearing underwear (depending on circumstance). Below, is a picture which depicts the early women being lectured and taking notes at the university of Bologna during the Renaissance period.
 |
Medieval University of Bologna (Pinterest)
The Renaissance brought along many great advantages for women because they were able to express themselves to the public through their artwork. My favorite artists to fight against the trend that perceived women as weak and vulnerable was Artemisia Gentileschi, " Artemisia Gentileschi, painter whose life and work are a challenge to humanist constructions of feminine education and deportment" (Chadwick 105). She always fought for women through her paintings by putting the spotlight on them and painting them with strong posture and facial expressions. Each photo below is done by Gentileschi, Artemisia(left) and her father Orazio(right). In Orazio's work it is clear that the focus is on the male even though he is dead because he is at the center of the work also, the females look confused which gives off the vibe that they are clueless and do not know what they are doing. On the other hand, Artemisia makes the females the highlight of her painting, not only by highlighting and detailing their clothing, but also by taking the focus away from the separated head. Alongside, the female's posture and facial expressions prove that they mean business !
Judith and the Maidservant, Orazio Gentileschi
1610, Pinterest Judith and the Maid Servant,
Artemisia Gentileschi 1618, Pinterest
 
Works Cited
María, Lena. "Adeste Fideles." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
"Middle Ages." Pinterest. Ed. Carlos Costa. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Oyler, Catherine. "HABITS." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
Quezada, Roberto. "Artemisia Gentileschi." Pinterest. N.p., 18 June 2012. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment