During the middle ages in Europe, women held the positions of wife, mother or nun. They were expected to obey their husbands, clean around the house and take care of their children. Most women were restricted of having their own home and were not economically dependent therefore they had to depend on their fathers, husbands, brothers or sovereigns. (Chadwick, 44) The few women that had the power to learn had to follow many restrictions. St. Paul said, " a women must be a learner, listening quietly and with due submission. I do not permit a women to be a teacher, nor must a woman domineer over a man; she should be quiet." (Chadwick, 45) This demonstrates to the reader that even if women were lucky enough to learn, they were not allowed to become teachers. During this time teaching was considered a mans job. St. Paul saying this also shows the audience that these men believed that allowing women to learn was something they should be grateful for, therefore they were expected to only sit there and listen and not disrespect men in the process because that was frowned upon.
Women went through a lot of hardships during this time. If they did not obey their husband, it was okay for this husband to hit them. If their husband cheated on them with another woman it was okay, but if women committed adultery they could be punished by flogging or could be buried alive. (Guerrilla Girls, 22) This is just some of the many things they had to go through. Women had no say in their lives and it is saddening to think that this continued for so many years. To avoid becoming a wife or mother, some women joined covenants which freed them of these demanding roles. Others joined covenants because they had to. Some girls were sent to a covenant as young as five or six years old. This was because their parents wanted them to live a religious life and others it was because their parents spent all their fortune on their sisters' dowries. (Guerrilla Girls, 21) These girls were basically toddlers at this age and their parents were making important life changing decisions for them already. Showing us that women's lives were always controlled.
It was not until the Renaissance period that women were able to have more "freedom." During this time women were able to attend or teach in a University if they moved to Bologna and they could have a legal abortion sanctioned by the catholic church. (Guerrilla Girls, 32) While abortion is something that should be considered as an accomplishment, it is important to notice that women had more power over their own bodies at this time. Which is a major improvement that should not go unnoticed. In order for women to become artist during this time they would have to be born into a family of artist that needed assistance in the family workshop. (Guerrilla Girls, 29) One artist that was fortunate in making a name for herself while doing this was Lavina Fontana. Lavina worked in her father's studio in Bologna. Lavina's father allowed her to marry another painter as long they lived with him and gave him all the money she earned. The Pope asked her to Rome, but Lavina refused to go until her father died. (Guerrilla Girls, 29-30) This demonstrates how much women were willing to tolerate in order to become successful and how much they respected the male figures in their lives. Lavina was willing to give her father all her money and respected her father enough to not go to Rome until he passed away. This shows how much she loved the work she did that she was willing to work with no pay as long as she could continue her art work. Below is one of her portraits and more of her artwork could be seen here.
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| Lavina Fontana, Portrait of A Family, 1598-1600 |
In the 17th and 18th century women were able to get apprentice jobs which helped them succeed with their art work. In 1629, Judith Leyster apprenticed herself to Frans Hals which was a well-known dutch painter. Four years later, she was a member of the Painters' Guild and had three male students. (Guerrilla Girls, 40) This is historical during this time considering that just a few centuries before women could not learn, let alone teach students; and to be able to teach males makes it more significant and shows how good of an artist she was.
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Judith Leyster, A Woman Sewing by Candlelight, 1633
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Women of this time did not only focus on portraits. In the 17th century science and art met in flower painting and botanical illustration. (Chadwick, 129) At the age of 15, Rachel Ruysch apprenticed to a flower painter named Willem van Aelst. Throughout her life she was swamped with commission for her exquisite flower paintings and there was a time when she was paid more for her work than Rembrant got paid. (Guerrilla Girls, 43) Women went from not getting their work recognized, to getting paid more than men. This is an amazing accomplishment for them.
In the 19th century women artist had to fight to be taken seriously. (Guerrilla Girls, 47) During this time women began working on paintings of animals, sculpting and making quilts. They were able to explore different aspects of art in this century. Needlework and textile manufacture increased in the 19th century which led women to use their skills in needlework to connect the domestic sphere and the public world of collective social action. (Chadwick, 207) In 1890, Harriet Powers was in dire need for money and she was forced to sell one of her quilts for $5. This quilt made its way all the way to the Smithsonian. Harriet Powers used her quilts to tell stories and events in her life. One of her famous quilts is called Pictorial Quilt. Another important artist during this time was Rosa Bonheur. Bonheur's specialty was painting horses, cows and bulls which was rare during her time because mostly men focused on such drawings. Rosa also expressed herself by cross-dressing, which she had to get a permit from the French police to do. (Guerrilla Girls, 48) Being one of the few women to do this kind of art was challenging for her but she overcame the critical reputation she was given and became an amazing artist. Rosa even received gold medals for her works.
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| One of Rosa Bonheur's famous pieces, Plowing in the Nivernais, 1848 |
Work Cited
The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion of the History of Western Art, Penguin Books, 1998.
Chadwick, Whitney. “Women, Art, And Society,” Fourth Edition. World of Art. 2007.
Chadwick, Whitney. “Women, Art, And Society,” Fourth Edition. World of Art. 2007.
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