From the Middle Ages to the 19th Century

     The Middle Ages was a time of hardship for women at a time in which they were considered nothing more than mere property. According to The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside to the History of Western Art, women were engaged at 12 years old and married by 15 years of age. They were not taught to read or write as it was thought that such skills would interfere with a woman’s ability to be a good wife and mother. Double standards were prominent, such as when a woman may be punished by flogging or stoned to death for adultery yet her husband may commit adultery with another woman unless the other women was already married. Many women from the lower classes worked, but the compensation they earned went straight to their fathers, husbands, or brothers (Girls 22). 

Hildegard of Bingen from Scivias (1152):

depiction of herself receiving a message

and dictating to her scribe. 

     The major gateway from these limitations was to join a nunnery, which freed women from the roles of being wives and mothers. Nuns “operated businesses, farmed, made tapestries, copied and illustrated manuscripts” (Girls 22). They also wrote books on medicine, science, and music (Girls 22). An example of such women is Hildegard Bingen who wrote to encourage Christians “to lead a more spiritual life and nuns and priests to uphold their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience” (Girls 25), and she received approval from the pope for her work. Bingen, nevertheless, is an exception to the general female population of the Middle Ages.     

     Literacy rates of women did not change significantly in the Renaissance period. Women were barred from painters’ guilds or academies – with the exception of lace and skill maker guilds (Girls 29). Generally, women could not receive commissions or legally own an atelier (Girls 29). There were, however, some notable exception. Such exceptions were sporadic, but many of these exceptions were concentrated in the city of Bologna. Bologna admitted female students, permitted female lecturers, and had several women educated in philosophy and law. Elisabetta Sirani, a prominent Bolognese artist, was accused of signing work her father had done and so she began painting in public; she also opened a school for women artists (Girls 30).

Jacopo Robusti’s Susana and the
Elders (1555-1556): speaks to the rape
culture of the Renaissance period. 

     Another notable woman was Onorata Rodiani who abandoned her career as a painter when she killed a colleague who tried to rape her (Girls 30). Women being raped or harassed was not something that happened once in a blue moon. Artemisia Gentileschi, the artist behind Susana and the Elders (1610), was also raped by a colleague of hers who worked in her father’s studio. If a woman was raped during that time period, she may marry the rapist to protect her honor. This form of rape culture can be seen promoted in work of Jacopo Robusti’s version of Susana and the Elders. In Gentileschi’s rape case, she used her negative experience as an inspiration for her artwork where she portrayed strong women (such as the figures in Judith Slaying Holofernes). 

     During the 18^th and 19^th century, girls as young as twelve years old started working in the textile and garment trades (Girls 41). The 18^th and 19^th century also brought forth Neoclassicism, which centered itself around heroic themes from history and mythology. During this era, artists draw from live nude models, but women were forbidden from such work (Girls 39). Most women artists during that time period worked with still life and portraiture. Judith Leyster made progress in a male-centered art world when she became a member of the Painters’ Guild by 1633, and was known to have three male students (Girls 40). In 1861, the English Royal Academy allowed women to be admitted, and the Academy allowed women to draw from live models in 1893.   

     The 19^th century in particular brought about paintings of prostitutes and mistresses; so women who became artists had to work arduously for their credibility (Girls 47, Chadwick 189). The mid-19^th century marked the abolition movement, and caused a surge in sculptures of abolitionist heroes (as seen through the works of Edmonia Lewis – a multiracial individual). A well respected artist during the 19^th century was Rosa Bonheur. Bonheur’s work revolved around animals, and contributed to the animal rights movement going on during the late 19^th century against vivisection and its parallelism to women rights (Chadwick 195). Beyond her politically-appealing artwork, Bonheur’s lifestyle was also something that was not part of the ordinary. She chose to wear “male” attire, and received a license from the French police to be able to do so. 

Rebecca Solomon’s The Governess (1851):

Depicts the extended roles of women in the 

19th Century. 

     As photography came into play in the 19^th century, women had the opportunity to take up the craft with relatively equal opportunities as there was not a male-dominated history associated with this trade. Photography also lead to the birth of many “isms” such as impressionism (Girls 59). This time period saw a rise in the roles a woman can take and the jobs they can acquire (such as the role of a governess illustrated by Rebecca Solomon’s The Governess). In contrast to the middle ages where a women’s only chance of escaping designated stringent roles was to join a nunnery, individuals such as Bonheur Lewis lived a much more progressive life – although their tales do not apply to the ordinary women.  

Citations

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Langara College, 2016. 

Girls , Guerrilla. The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. Penguin Books, 2006.                      

By Maisha Manzoor