 |
| Herrad of Landsberg, Hortus Deliciarum1170 |
During the Middle Ages, the roles of women were quite limited. Not only was an education for women thought to be unnecessary, it was seen as a distraction that got in the way of women who were required to fulfill her duties as a ‘good’ wife and mother. Most women were married off by the time they were 15, as they were seen as suitable to become reliant on their husbands. Women had highly fixated expectations of what was deemed acceptable within their society. They were seen as the property of men, instead of equals, so even working women who hustled to make money had to accept the fact that her earnings belonged to the men of her family (i.e. father, brother, or husband) and not her. An important thing to note was that not all women conformed to the restrictions created by the burdens of feudalism. One way that women would successfully escape from participating in the expected role was by taking part in convents and becoming nuns. In Whitney Chadwick’s Women, Art, and Society she explains that “Within the convent women had access to learning even though they were prohibited from teaching by St.Paul’s caution that ‘a woman must be a learner, listening quietly and with due submission. I do not permit a woman to be a teacher, nor must a woman domineer over a man; she must be quiet’” (Chadwick 45). Despite the fact that women were seen as a threat to men in some way, it didn't prevent them from learning to read, write, participate in documenting vital evidence that proves that women, specifically nuns, did, in fact, participate in creating art of their own. For instance Herrad of Landsberg who was elected in the creation of the Hortus Deliciarium an anthology and religious encyclopedia designed to educate the younger women within her convent, as well as responsible for supervising illustrations of nuns within her convent. By recognizing each and every female nun who participated in the creation of the work, Herrad grants them the credit they truly deserved to be recognized for and provides evidence that women endured challenges in the process of becoming learned.
 |
| Elisabetta Siriani, Portia Wounding Her Thigh 1664 |
As the years go by, the roles of women take a partial shift, especially during the Renaissance period. Feudalistic ideas fall apart and lose its power over society due to mercantilism gaining popularity and the commissions by patrons becoming popular as well. Advances in art are also made and a demand for portraits by people within the middle class as opposed to solely the upper class (such as the nobility or church). Women are still expected to marry and become reliant on their husbands only this time they withheld the ability to participate in guilds as they were no longer excluded solely for men. Women were also given the opportunity to become educated and were often times required to gain a few skills as it would be “…transferred to new households upon marriage” (Chadwick 68). Art becomes accessible to women particularly in Bologna, Italy since as early as the middle ages. According to the Guerrilla Girls in The Guerrilla Girls’ Beside Companion to the History of Western Art, the city of Bologna is quite notable for having “…many learned women in philosophy and law…there was even a school for women artists...there were more women artists in Bologna during this time than anywhere else in Italy” (30). Elisabetta Siriani, a Bolognese painter, was arguably amongst one of the most daring female artists of her century. She was influenced greatly by her father, Giovanni Andrea Siriani, so much so that people would often time accuse that she would simply sign off her father's work. Instead of simply denying this she would publicly display her talents. Similarly, it is within her painting Portia Wounding Her Thigh that the woman is seen going through physical pain distancing herself from the women around her in order to prove that she is suitable, capable, and worthy of being amongst men. Elisabetta Sirani is also notable for establishing a school in Bologna, encouraging and paving the way for future women artists.
It is during the 19th century that the call for the equality of women emerges stronger than ever. The roles of women don’t quite shift as they remain to withhold domestic roles within society, but there is notably an acceptance of women artists that grow on a vast scale. It is important to point out that female artists begin to reform for education, gain recognition in exhibitions, and art schools were to open all over the course of the century. Despite the many improvements being made for women to further their studies, there were obstacles women faced dealing with the ideals femininity and the heavy burdensome reliance of men. For instance, in Edith Hayllar’s Feeding the Swans, a depiction of the different stages young girls go through before becoming a married woman. The piece serves a purpose to display how women were groomed by other women in order to fit into the proper lady-like delicate person worthy of marriage. It was on an ongoing cycle that forced the women within the upper-class to continuously rely on the men to assure their life was secure. Meanwhile, in Alice Walker’s Wounded Feelings, the piece portrays an upper-class woman, in a domestic setting, upset that a potential male partner is intrigued by another. Chadwick explains the painting calls attention to "...the uneasy aspects of feminine sexuality constructed around male protection and approval, domestication and family pleasures" (183). The narrative being presented also displays the extent to which it affects women, as their happiness heavily depends on the men who can provide their security and financial needs. The two pieces demonstrate the cycle of domesticity and the influence it has on the women within society who are coerced to take part in it.
 |
| Edith Hayllar, Feeding the Swans 1889 & Alice Walker, Wounded Feelings 1861 |
Works Cited:
- Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Thames & Hudson, 2007.
- Guerrilla Girls, The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1998.
Links Cited:
No comments:
Post a Comment