Paving the Way

Today's stigma around women, their capabilities, and talent, specifically in the art world, date back to even before the Middle Ages. The practice of making women feel inadequate and estranging them from the realms of the fine arts was not enough to keep them from pioneering in the field. In fact, women utilized their struggles as strokes of beauty in the work and made a statement in their own unique fashion. 

Viewed as objects to their male counterparts, whether that be their father or husband, women have been victims of manipulation and confinement. In the Middle Ages, amidst a system of Feudalism, women and the poverty-stricken individuals lived a life that was decided for them. For the poverty-stricken, they were to stay in their low social and economic class because it was before the time of mercantilism. Without the opportunity to grow their wealth, they were forced to be poor for the rest of their lives. Also interesting to note, the only information they knew about the world around them was provided by the clergy, the higher ranks of society. This was biased and allowed for a truly corrupt system to live in for all. The reason this is significant to understand is that the poor and women were not that different. Women had two choices: get married or go to a nunnery. Their fate could not hold more than becoming a mother, wife, or nun. They could not own land, vote, or work. They were simply the property of men. However, at the nunnery, they could get an education in religion which was often preferred to marriage, especially since many families could not afford the dowry to marry their daughters. 

Due to the fact that women were belittled and never offered the same opportunities as men, the women that did slip through the crack created artwork that would document their impact. Christine De Pizan's In Her Study from The City of Ladies portrays herself writing. This is important because she does not allow for someone to deny her contribution to art. She utilized mathematical techniques to make the painting look three-dimensional. In Her Study also provided a glimpse of the era's architecture. Beyond the surface of Pizan's physical work, her bravery and courageous attitude paved a way for women to follow. Intelligent and vocal, Pizan was a poet that wrote without being under the church allowing her to be the first woman to earn a living as a writer. She was also part of the forefront of protesting the sexist scholars of the time. Ultimately, Pizan's thinking was beyond her time and had a major influence on her community and the future of feminism and women in art to come. 

Christine de Pizan In Her Study, 1405

Moving into the Renaissance, the role of women hardly changed from the Middle Ages. Still viewed as property, women struggled to find a path to fame and recognition as men did. Yet, they rose above the guidelines set for them by society. Although gender expectations remained similar, society as a whole moved to a system of mercantilism in which people exchanged goods for goods and eventually currency for goods. Feudalism becomes obsolete as individuals rise from the lower ranks of society into higher ones. As mercantilism gains power, the church loses it. The development of the printing press also allows for the spread of ideas and people felt more entitled to explore different realms of life besides what the church fed them.  Up until this point, the majority of paintings revolved around religious ideas. Art began to move towards secularism. 

Portraits of women created during the Renaissance speak volumes on the different visions male and female artists had. To illustrate, Domenico Ghirlandaio's Giovanna Tornabuoni nee Albizzi is compared to Sofonisba Anguissola's Portrait of Queen Anne of Austria. 

Domenico Ghirlandaio's Giovanna Tornabuoni nee Albizzi, 1488

Sofonisba Anguissola's Portrait of Queen Anne of Austria of 1570

Anguissola captures a beauty that dives into the strength of the Queen of Austria rather than only portraying her physical beauty as Ghirlandaio's painting does. Ghirlandaio paints the side profile of his subject, Giovanna Tornabuoni, presenting her as a prized possession of her husband. She was to be admired as a mere object rather than the woman she is. This is an example of the male gaze. Giovanna was posed to emphasize her beautiful physical features for the man that is to observe the painting. The qualities that make her beautiful from the inside are not hinted at within this art piece. Compared to Anguissola, who took a female gaze approach, her painting of the Queen of Austria presented strength. Her outfit, although regal and elegant, is subdued and not the main focus of the painting. Giovanna is dressed in color, distracting from the fact that she is a woman with personality and passion. Anguissola captured the essence of humanity as the Queen's glare confronts the viewer of the painter with assertiveness and a humble attitude. These two traits are married together beautifully to create a portrait that would change the face of art to come. Anguissola makes a statement about how women should have been portrayed and how their value comes from within. 

Elisabetta Sirani's famous Portia Wounding Her Thigh from 1664 exemplifies the charge of women proving their strength in art and society. Although still confined to the borders and limits of society, marriage, and men, Sirani asserted female power through this piece. According to Chadwick,  “Stabbing herself deeply in the thigh, Portia has to prove herself virtuous and worthy of political trust by separating herself from the rest of her sex... Removed from the private world of women to the public world of men...” (Chadwick 101-102). Sirani makes several statements through this painting. She clearly illustrates her talent by utilizing light to emphasize Portia and strategically places the viewer in the same room as Portia. The three women in the back only add to the argument that Portia is different from other females who engage in gossip. Without a doubt, Sirani was telling her audience that women are just as strong as men and should not be undermined. The revealing of Portia's thigh plays an important role as although it is provoking, it served to symbolize the extent of her strength and fearlessness. Portia Wounding Her Thigh may also speak to Sirani's life and struggles. Sirani was exploited by her father as a source of fame and recognition. She could not own her accomplishments without her father wanting to be associated with it. Portia represented Sirani's desire to be seen as independent and courageous. Her art was a means of revolting against the prevalent patriarchy and control that men had over women.

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding Her Thigh 1664

Moving into the Victorian Era, women are still confined to the traditional role of a wife and mother. Edith Hayllar's Feeding the Swans from 1889 is a masterpiece that illustrated the timeline expected of every woman during that time period. Starting with the child at the forefront of the painting, dressed in white to symbolize a future married to a man, holding hands with an older lady teaching her to care for others, even the swan. From there, women become the female in pink being romanced by the man only to grow into mothers and potentially widows represented by the women in black in the back. Women were not given the opportunity to explore fields outside of family and marriage. Hayllar's decision to pursue her art gave her a platform to protest the reality of the lives of women. Feeding of the Swans was not drawn as a celebration of this timeline, rather it is a gloomy painting. Women deserved more of a chance than to only serve as wives and caretakers.

Edith Hayllar, Feeding the Swans 1889

Rosa Bonheur defied the traditional laws and guidelines of being a woman during her time. She is a pioneer in her own way. Dressing in a suit and exploring fields that were mainly reserved for men, Bonheur refused to allow society to deem her expertise and experience. Rosa "hunted, smoked cigars, and rode her horse astride the streets of Paris" (Guerilla Girls 48). She was a lesbian and turned down proposals from men. She did not condone or abide by the rules set out for her gender. She was an icon and a symbol of power. The Horse Fair, 1853, illustrated her love for animals, demonstrated her renowned ability to include detail, and alluded to the issues surrounding gender. The horses in the painting represented women as they are emphasized compared to the men that are riding them. The men exploited women by taking credit for their work since the Middle Ages and belittling their talent. The painting was a revolt against this practice. The horse, an animal of fearless and beautiful strength, was also a neat choice by Bonheur as she wanted to make her message clear: Women are strong. Women are courageous. Women will rise and fight against what is wrong. 

Since the Middle Ages, women have been valued at less than men in regards to their talent, strength, competency, and ability. Artists such as Christine De Pizan, Sofonisba Anguissola, Elisabetta Sirani, Edith Hayllar, and Rosa Bonheur were pioneers of their time. Building an additional step for the artists to come, they each paved a new way and became icons in their fields. They protested against the ill-treatment of women through their work, pouring their hearts and souls into each of their pieces. Admirable, courageous, and STRONG, female artists rose and fought against the men who attempted to devalue their talent.

Works Cited

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. 4th Edition. United Kingdom: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1990

The Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998

King, Jade. “Ten Reasons to Love Rosa Bonheur .” Ten Reasons to Love Rosa Bonheur | Art UK, 28 Feb. 2019, artuk.org/discover/stories/ten-reasons-to-love-rosa-bonheur.

Harlitz-Kern, Erika. “The Life and Work of Christine De Pizan, Feminist Writer of the Middle Ages.” BOOK RIOT, Riot New Media Group, 14 Aug. 2017, bookriot.com/2017/08/15/the-life-and-work-of-christine-de-pizan-feminist-writer-of-the-middle-ages/.