The middle ages was a time of great restrictions for women. Any women who aspired to join the world of art had to abide by the laws of society. Society had deemed the church the most influential figure of the time. Women would join the church in order to partake in art. They would be given education to write texts, and able to paint stories from text. Women who wanted a power position would become the head nun and dictate what the women were to do. Women could obtain this position by being born with a high status. As written, "I do not permit a women to be a teacher, nor must a women domineer over a man; she should be quiet." (Chadwick 45 ) The middle ages was a time that relied on nobles and middle class. Noble women had minor rights to education and so on. Chadwick writes, "Wealthy Individuals became private patrons of magnificent public civic art.Rucellai suggested that art (patronage) gave him contentment and pleasure, because they [objects] serve the glory God."(Chadwick 70)
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| Hildegard of Bingen, Scivas c1142-52 |
This painting was done to show a women who was being spoken to by God. The knowledge and power that God bestowed upon men had now spoken to a women who was allowed to write and record this information. This painting was done to empower women saying they too were speaking to God and worthy of this education they have been denied. Again the women is empowered through the church and he role is to remain within the reign of church in order to continue her education and ability to express her art. It was very difficult for women to break away from this christian hold because they had nowhere else to turn if not here. Female artist were looked down upon no matter their nobility and they had to adapt to a lesser evil role in the hopes of gaining what little freedom she could.
The renaissance was a time that was influenced with such ideas. It was a time for women to in a sense to challenge the men and create a stronger and new female role.Women had to not only maintain a domestic role in everyday life, but also captured through art as such. In addition to their domestic role, there is as surrounding idea of weakness, and vulnerability. Women may have not enjoyed their place in life than but also had grown adapt to living in that confined world. Understanding her role as a possession rather than an individual. In the portrait, Susanna and the elders we see how Artemisia Gentileschi took back power for herself and women who have been subjected to sexual violence. The story of Susanna and the elders being a dark one had not stopped men from painting a women of beauty surrounded by men. Though the women was unaware of what was to become of her, the men being the paint brush did. They had made the conscious decision to paint the men as innocent beings behind the scenes of this women bathing. Despite this story being one of rape, violence, shaming we see none that depicted within many portraits recreating this very story. It was Gentileschi who decided to paint the story for what it truly was.
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| Susanna and The Elders 1610 By Artemisia Gentileschi |
We see a women in distress. She has her body pulled in tightly toward herself and legs closed. Her hands are out in a form of defense, as the two men stand over her. What is more saddening is how this sex crime was not uncommon. Women did not focus on the men who raped them or even her well being but rather what society was going to say about it. The had now been tainted by men, and would be unable to find a suitor. As explained, "He threw me onto the edge of the bed, lifting my clothes, which he had a great deal of doing. It hurt very much. I scratched his face and pulled his hair before he penetrated me again. I'd like to kill you with this knife because you have dishonored me." (Guerrilla Girls 36) Gnetileschi being a victim herself shared the same fear of being ruined. Her initial thoughts had considered what her life would look like without being a pure women for a suitor to court her. This was not only her story, but the tale of many women everywhere. This was their reality and the Renaissance art has captured it, simply because reputation was their livelihood. Attached is a link that further explains the story of Susanna and the elders.
As a women artist of the time period she would be silenced, ignored, and her work unappreciated. Gender had a way of taking about all the talent of artwork. Despite the work itself being beautiful anything done by a women was unwanted. Women Artists during this time had also began to show more power by drawing women in powerless roles. They had exposed the power struggle of their daily lives and were able to give the message of understanding it was not okay. Women were started to take on the art industry when they were given opportunity. For instance Gentileschi's father was an artist and allowed her to grow under him.
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| Metamorphosis 1701 By Maria Merian |
Another example being Maria Merian. A female artist who's father was an engraver and step father a flower painter. From their work she was able to learn and combined the two art forms into one. Not only did she take on art she was educated and able to dedicate her skills to identifying specimen. Maria was wed had daughters and continued to educate them and so on. "In 1685 she dumper her husband and joined a religious sect, the Labidists, who didn't believe in marriage or worldly goods. She and her two daughters took off for surinamensium to document insects and flowers there." (Guerrilla Girls 41) Maria had took her opportunity as a women with knowledge and passed it on to her children. Not many women are capable of leaving their husband, because they were their support system. Maria was a women who again took on art and found her own strength. Again women couldn't overcome this life without having a man to build off of, a father who taught them the trade. If you were a women of this time not given this opportunity to grow you would have been left to live your domestic role. The 19th century was a time where women were able to loosen the reigns strapped to them and pursue more than husbands. While still having to appeal to society women are now able to educate themselves, work when they had no other support system but work nonetheless. They took on jobs which told other women they were equally capable.
Overall Women of the middle ages and renaissance had all struggled in asserting themselves into a mans world. The middle ages had held women back to they weren't given the means or opportunity to education , freedom of express, and so on. It was in the Renaissance that a change occurred. Though the change was slight it still allowed for many women artist's to come forward and paint women in a more powerful role. They made women the center of an art piece and gave their bodies an identity. They were allowed to be educated more and more and though were not recognized by men still able to send a message. Their art was inspirational to other women who too wanted to break free.
Work Cited
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. fifth ed., Thames & Hudson World of Art, 2012
Girls, Guerrilla. The Guerrilla Girls Bedside Companion To The History of Western Art. Penguin Book, 1998
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