Roles of Women from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and the 19th Century

Judith Lester’s The Proposition 1631

Throughout history and even in modern society, women have assumed multiple roles: daughter, wife, housewife, caregiver, and mother, etc. Judith Lester’s The Proposition 1631, is a great pictorial depiction of one of the many social roles women assumed during the Middle Ages. As evident in the painting, the woman is seen as a seamstress who is being solicited by a man for sexual favors. She seems to ignore him while concentrating on the task at hand. Lester’s The Proposition does not only explore the kind of work (knitting and sewing, etc.) women predominantly did during the Middles Age into the Renaissance, it also gives us a glimpse into how women were sexually objectified, mistreated and considered inferior to men. According to the Guerrilla Girls, during this time, “A woman had to obey her husband, and he could beat her if she didn’t. Education was thought to interfere with a woman’s ability to be a good wife and mother. Almost no women were taught to read and write” (22). Sadly, even today in certain parts of the world, women are being deprived the opportunity to pursue education. And those who do, are severely punished. The BBC News reported a story involving a young girl, Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head, neck and shoulder by a radical religious group for going to school.  

Malala Yousafzai, a young girl shot for going to school

Moreover, it is impossible to fully understand the roles women were expected to play in Europe in the Middle Ages without considering the crucial role of religion in Western medieval life. Religion, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, helped to shape the roles women were expected to play. Chadwick (2007) explains that the, “the Church’s patriarchal dogma included a full set of theories on the natural inferiority of women” (44). The Roman Catholic Church, much like today, stressed that women ought to adopt a lifestyle of obedience and chastity. 

Picture depicting the roles of men and women 

   

Consider the picture below depicting the roles of men versus that of women in contemporary societies. The woman is being depicted and treated as a maid or servant to the man. Her primary domestic responsibilities include serving and catering to the needs and desires of the man. He, on the other hand, is seen as the king or leader of the home. Similarly, in the Middle Ages women weren't only expected to be obedient, chase, serve men, worked alongside their husbands, or depended on fathers and brothers, they were excluded to take part in activities that their male counterparts enjoyed.

Herrad of Landsberg Hortus Deliciarum after 1170

Hildegard of Bingen Scivias,1142  

Further on, apart from shaping the roles of women during the Middle Ages, the Church also played a significant role in helping women to become literate. Nuns who joined the convent were afforded the opportunity to be educated and create religious manuscripts, something that they weren’t granted previously.  Herrad of Landsberg Hortus Deliciarum, after 1170 and Hildegard of Bingen Scivias,1142 are two examples of literary work produced and spearheaded by women during this period. In Herrad Landsberg’s Hortus Deliciarum, she does not only credit herself, she also credited the other women who were involved in the project, giving them the opportunity to be reported in history. It is a sad reality, but women are sometimes deprived the accreditation or recognition they truly deserve. For example, on December 25, 2014 the Daily News reported a story involving a women artist, Margaret Keane, and her husband, Walter. Margaret Keane’s Big Eyes paintings were stolen by her husband. Instead of giving her credit for the paintings, he disingenuously claimed that he was responsible for them. The matter came before the court and she won. Moreover, the Bayeux Tapestry, which is seen as one the most important medieval art objects surviving to present day, was attributed to a male designer while completely ignoring the significant contribution of women (Guerrilla Girls, 2007 p. 21).  

Picture of the Bayeux Tapestry, 

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding Her Thigh, 1664

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and her Maidservant,1618

Furthermore, while the roles of women during the Middle Ages were that of housewives, wives, nurturers, and mothers, etc. we see these roles somewhat changing throughout the Renaissance into the Nineteen Century, although women were still forced to assume domesticated roles. We also see them influencing the lives of women artists and the subjects of their work. Take Artemesia Gentilesche’s Judith and her Maidservant, 1618, Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1612 and Elisabetta Sirani's Portia Wounding Her Thigh, 1664. During the Middle Ages leading up to the Renaissance, we see women who were once constricted to household roles starting to pursue other roles in textile mills and other male dominated fields. Women aren't portrayed as simply weak, but as strikingly powerful and equally as strong as men. These facts are evident in both Artemisia Gentileschi and Elisabetta Sirani's paintings. For example, in Artemisia's painting, Judith is seen decapitating Holofernes' head (below) while in Elisabetta Sirani's, Portia (above) is projected as a woman of strength who is capable of overpowering a man.  In all of these paintings women aren't seen as gentle, weak or inferior to men, but equal in power and strength. 

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1618

Although they are often challenged, criticized and deprived the credit for their work, women artists have played a critical role in art history. For example Sofonisba Anguissola, a very influential Italian artist, was among the most accomplished painters of the late Renaissance. She paved the way for many women artist. According to Chadwick, she "opened up the possibility of painting to women as a socially acceptable profession, while her work established new conventions for self-portraiture by women. She remains the only woman of her time credited with the ability to infuse an image with life" (77). Sadly, she was harshly criticized and opposed by her male counterpart.

 Mary Osborn, Nameless and Friendless 1857

Women have always had to endured harsh criticisms and isolation from their male counterparts as they sought independence or work in a male dominated society. It was no different for women during the 18th through the 19th Century. Consider Emily Mary Osborn, Nameless and Friendless 1857 The painting portrays the plight and isolation middle-class women encountered as they leave their homes to seek occupation to support themselves.  In Osborn's Nameless and Friendless of 1857, a young woman is depicted in what looks like an art dealer's shop with her painting and a portfolio of prints and drawings. It is almost impossible not to notice the utter contempt and disgust with which the dealer observes her art work. The other male observers, on the other hand, fixated their gazes on her, as if to indicate that she is out of place. According to Chadwick, the message the male observers wish to convey is, "women have no place in the commerce of art; they belong to the world of art as subjects, not makers or purveyors" (188).  

 As evident above, women were expected to play multiple roles in Europe in the Middle, including wife, mother and housewives, etc. The Church espoused theories that emphasized the natural inferiority of women to men. They were also deprived the opportunity of being educated. It seems like these roles gradually began to change during the Renaissance leading up to 18th and 19th Century. Women who were once constricted to domestic roles began to pursue work in male dominated art fields. However, they encountered harsh criticisms and isolation as evident in Mary Osborn's Nameless and Friendless, 1857. Women were also depicted as strong and powerful as illustrated in the paintings of Artemesia Gentileschi and Elisabetta Sirani. 

Sources:

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. London: Thames & Hudson, 2007.

Guerrilla Girls. Beside the Companion to the History of Western Art. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1998.

Additional web source: 
Kuiper, Kathleen. Biography of Sofonisba Anguissola. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sofonisba-Anguissola