From the very moment women are conceived and born their roles are pre chosen for them; their purpose will be to take care of the household, bear children, and serve as properties to their husbands and fathers. These beliefs have been passed down for ages and although society has progressed the backbone of these beliefs are still in place. Going back to the Middle Ages in Europe we may recall a time where these beliefs were strictly in place. During this time Europes social system was Feudalism, in which wealth was represented by the land you owned. At the top of the pyramid were the Clergy, then the landowners, working class, and finally the peasants. At this time there were no books the only people who were lucky enough to be educated were clergy for the purpose of passing of the teachings of God. During this time no woman was allowed to be educated; they were simply their fathers property until married and then became their husbands property. Eventually there became some exceptions like if you became a nun. Some women were forced to be nuns and some made the choice to become nuns to save them from the terrible destiny that awaited them as women.
One particular women that made a great exception in the early renaissance to this rule was Christine De Pizan. Christine was a french writer, her book
Cite Des Dames (1405) translated to
City of Ladies was about ladies for ladies attempting to encourage other women to fight back against the discrimination from men
. In the book she made a memorable remark to Jean de Meun stating that, "[s]he [could not] understand why men write so scathingly about women when they owe their very existence to them" (Chadwick 36). Can we take a moment to realize and appreciate how brave Pizan was for making such a bold statement. More than brave she was astonishing because she grew up in an era where being your husbands or fathers property was all you were. Although because of being bold she lost many friends it was was clearly worth it, and it is fair to say that to be a women of this standard is a privilege. Besides Christine there were also women painters that were their fathers helpers but also painted for their father and were never credited.
Later on in the Renaissance the print press was invented. The print press was a huge deal because it had an effect on who be educated now and people we able to pass on information that was about subjects other than religion. As for art, new styles of painting were introduced like still-life, male nudes, domestic scenes, linear perspectives and many more. It also changed how women were being painted and wanted to be painted. Initially the wealthy people were the only people who could afford to be painted and in the paintings the focus was to show their off their wealth and privilege. Because of these types of styles took place that changed, women were being painted sowing or just being moms like Marie Antoinetters portrait with her children (1787). The usual was to paint women a certain way for men but the development of new art, and women in art, triggered that important change in perspective that they were being painted. While men focused on "the male gaze" women were painting the actual women for who they were and in the paintings interpreting their struggles. Two comparison are
"Susanna and the Elders" by Tintoretto and Gentileschi. In Tintorettos painting (bottom left) Susanna is painted admiring herself in a mirror, nude positioned in a way that satisfies the male gaze. The purpose of the mirror was to, "[condemn] the women whose nakedness [the viewer] depicted for [their] own pleasure" (Berger 51) called vanity. And the two men who are 'admiring' her without her knowing are barely visible therefore seen as innocent and weak. On the other hand, Artemisias Gentileschi "
Susanna and the Elders" Susanna is not positioned for the male gaze. In this painting she has more expression and she is denying these men trying to make advances on her. This painting is about a rape that back then in today is extremely popular.
Ironically enough Artemisia had story to tell herself. After being brutally raped she was forced to marry her abuser because apparently that would "ease the crime"(The Guerilla Girls 36). However, because he denied it he was punished and went to jail for ONE year. No matter how long this man went to jail Artemisia would never be able to get back what he took from her without her permission. But that does not mean that she could not fight back. Its rumored that Artemisia got revenge through one of her most famous paintings "Judith Slaying Holofernes"(1612). In this beautiful painting Judith is showing now mercy and both women show a lot of emotions. As if representing their strength and boldness, the opposite of what they were believed to be.
Fast-forwarding to the late1800s, a artist that stood out from the others was Edmonia Lewis. Edmonia was a sculptor and she was Indian, black, and white therefore she not only faced the struggle from being a women but also the different types of oppression that came with each part of her ethnicity. Regardless she was able to portray her beautiful culture through her art. In the sculpture "Forever Free" we can see two slaves looking like they're breaking out of their chains. This is an extremely symbolic representation for her and African-Americans considered their one of the most oppressed groups in society back then and still today. From the middle ages we can see a huge change in art and growth. When women took initiative and were able to freely express themselves through their art and writings we were able to see women for the strong people they were and they're changing roles in society.
Chadwick, Whitney. "Women, Art, and Society". Langara College, 2016.
The Guerilla Girls.
The Guerilla Girls. Penguin Books, 1998.
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