POST 2

The expected roles of women in Europe in the Middle Ages were wives,

mothers, daughters, etc.. The woman during this time period was expected

to cook, clean, and care for the children. She had no place in the public,

instead she was expected to stay inside the home. Vanity, objectification,

and the male gaze were in full effect. The following picture is representative

of the way women were expected to carry themselves and live in this time

period. Mostly every item is symbolic of something the woman was to do

or be in her everyday life that ultimately benefited men. For example, the

setting: inside the home, represents where women typically were perceived

to belong during the Middle Ages. The mirror signifies the beauty women

were supposed to exhibit; in combination, the long pink dress the woman

is wearing is also representative of this, as well as the obligation to

constantly be a form of entertainment for men. The table with the utensils

represents the cooking and cleaning women were to perform on a daily

basis while waiting for their husbands. Lastly, the crosses show the

importance of religion during this time period.

"Thamar" from Boccaccio's De Claris Mulieribus 1355-59

Throughout the Renaissance, the status of women basically remained

unchanged. Unfortunately, their roles still consisted of the relevance of

entertaining men. The only way they could pursue the passion of

becoming an artist was by being born into a family of artists. Many

women artists were also able to prosper in the small city of Bologna,

Italy. In fact, a woman “could attend or teach in a university if she moved

to Bologna” (Guerrilla Girls, p 32). Sofonisba Anguissola was a great

example of both. Given that she was the daughter of Amilcare Anguissola,

she had the privilege of being educated and recognized for her artwork

thanks to her father. She had produced sophisticated works since her

early stages of her career as an artist such as her Self-Portrait in 1561.

The piece of artwork showed a serious young woman, in contrast to the

happy and vain woman which was considered ideal at the time. The peak

of her artistic talent showed in her Portrait of Queen Anne of Austria in

1570, posted below. Sofonisba was not afraid to display girl power in this

painting, evidently displayed in the strong highlight of the Queen’s face.

In the process of representing a powerful woman, not an object, she paints

the Queen in all black clothing while using a dark background. This

eliminates any form of vanity, weakness, or objectification men expected

to see in women of that time period.

Sofonisba Anguissola Portrait of Queen Anne of Austria c. 1570

On the other hand, the outcome was different for ordinary women.

Unfortunately they remained stuck, much like the bored, vulnerable

women in the pictures such as the one shown below. Art was only

acceptable as a hobby for the ordinary woman and was not to be pursued

outside the home. If a woman wished to show herself in public, it was

only socially acceptable if she was there to provide entertainment for men.

As Renoir mentioned, “The woman artist is merely ridiculous, but I am in

favor of the female singer and dancer” (quoted in Chadwick, p 234). This

was a completely acceptable form of expression, considering that the

social norms for this time period corresponded with Renoir’s thought process. Thus, today we have so many paintings of women inside the home produced by women inside the home.

Mary Cassatt A Cup of Tea c. 1880

Into the 19th century, women were still left with very few rights despite the changes that occurred. If they wished to work, they were provided with tasks which were considered low skill, despite the reality of the amount of skill required for the jobs they performed. Young girls were sent to work long hours in the textile industry. Middle to high-class women, although still not getting paid as much as men, were allowed to specialize in lace-making or some kind of sewing at this time. They were also allowed to be nuns, although barely recognized for their small teaching roles. Poor women often became wet nurses for the wealthy or prostitutes. In general, women did have more opportunities for work than in the past. Women born into artistic or noble families were provided with a far deeper understanding of what life has to offer along with adequate education as opposed to poor women. Female artists of this time began to produce far more intricate work than those in the past. Impressionism was the new art trend at this time. It consisted of many different colors and lights. It also produced more abstract images rather than realistic. Keeping up with their male counterparts, women artists also participated in the era of impressionism. The following coming of age painting by Berthe Morisot is an excellent example of the way female artists expressed themselves using the impressionist technique. This painting expresses the reluctance of a young lady to face the role society desires her to take on as a woman living in the 19th century.

Berthe Morisot Psyche 1876

In conclusion, despite the progress made toward women’s rights, the value of neoclassicism produced a negative effect on women; thus, slowing the process down when it came to taking a step forward. Constant ties to this concept strengthened the attempt to pull society back into Greek and Roman ideals of women. Luckily this did not prevent the nonbelievers of this ideal to continue fighting for women’s rights. As a result, some women were still able to shine and share their artwork with the world.

Works Cited

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. 1990. Print.

Guerrilla Girls. The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. Penguin Books, 1998. 

“Renaissance Cities--Bologna, Italy.” Renaissance Cities--Bologna, Italy, http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.com/2016/02/renaissance-cities-bologna-italy.html.

Contact@theartwolf.com. “THE IMPRESSIONISM SEEN THROUGH 50 PAINTINGS.” 50 Impressionist Paintings - the Impressionism Seen through 50 Works, http://www.theartwolf.com/articles/50-impressionist-paintings.htm.

“Neoclassical Art Movement.” Identify This Art - Your Guide through the Art Movements, https://www.identifythisart.com/art-movements-styles/pre-modern-art/neoclassical-art-movement/.