During the middle ages, a woman's role was either a wife, mother, or peasant. Their task consisted of taking care of their husbands, taking care of the house, and their children. Women were the ones who served, but, they were still belittled. They had to obey their husbands and let their lives be decided for them. As stated, "a women must be a learner, listening quietly and with due submission. I do not permit a woman to be a teacher, nor must women domineer over a man; she should be quiet" (Bell hooks 44). This quote demonstrates that a female had no right to be over or equal to a man. If a woman was lucky enough, they were allowed to learn but certainly not able to teach. As stated, "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." (guerrilla girls 22). The societal roles made females live a life that was decided for them. Women had no economic independence and were viewed as objects by men, living under confinement. Women had to stay in the house to take care of their children while men go about their business. A woman's opinion meant absolutely nothing.
Men were ruthless to females, it didn't matter if it was a husband or a father, if women did not obey their husband they were treated with violence. As stated "women were virtual prisoners of men in their lives." (guerrilla girls 19) The only way a woman can get a sense of freedom was becoming a nun. This wasn't the ideal life for a woman, but the church also put women under control. The church told them to act a certain way, dress a certain way and how to feel. They were sent from ages five and six years old to nunneries. The freedom was minimal but that was the most "freedom a woman can possess in the middle ages.
Then came Christine de Pizan, she was the first woman e to make a good writer in the middle ages. Born born 1364 in Venice, becoming widowed at the age of 25, Christine de Pizan was one of the first to create a path for women to go against the men who belittle women. As stated, "It was a courageous act for a woman to be outspoken intellectual in an era when females were thought to be morally inferior and incapable of reason or logic." (guerrilla girls 23) Christine de Pizan made art that went against societal roles and described women as powerful.
 |
Christine De Piz(s)an, The Bricklayers, from The City of Ladies, 1405
“Christine crafted her arguments against the sexist scholars of her day in the City of the ladies(1405), a long allegory describing an entire city populated by the bravest, strongest, most virtuous women from history. In it, three beautiful women personifying reason rectitude, and justice describe how the city of ladies is to be built…”
|
During the renaissance, many female artists started to surface. This era was much better because some women were educated, and some became artists. Women's rights were still minimal; they were still closed to the same rights as men. Men always would belittle women by believing they should not be educated and that women were destructive to the creative process. Women who started to produce art were deterred and still not recognized. Women couldn't even receive commission or ownership of their own artworks. Only certain social class women were allowed to become artists, unlike the middle ages, during this era, females decided to step up. "As stated," One of the few ways a woman could work as an artist was to be born into a family of artists that needed assistance in the family workshops." (guerrilla girls 25) The only way women can express their emotions through their art. A woman can not attend or teach in a university if she moved to bologna, a woman could now get a legal abortion by the catholic church. Abortion might sound like a cruel action, but in the renaissance, it was a celebration because it showed that women had more control over their bodies.
An artist in which stood out was, Elisabetta Sirani, she was an accomplished painter who got accused of signing work her father had done. To prove everyone wrong, she began to paint in public. Siranis father took all her income but, she became recognized all over the world.
 |
Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding Her Thigh, 1664
“Sirani chose the moment at which Portia wounded herself to test her strength of characters before asking brutus to confide in her. The works sexualized content is evoked through the titillating image of female wounding and the figures almost voluptuous….Stabbing herself deeply in the thigh, Portia has to prove herself virtuous and worthy of political trust by seperating herself from the rest of her sex”
|
The roles of women changed going into the 19th century because a woman can now do whatever their passion is. IN the household, both husband and wife are earning wages. Women artist was common and became known around the world. The Industrial Revolution introduced photography, which threatened painting. Women could do photography without anything holding them back. Women were now being rewarded for their artworks. An artist named Rosa Bonheur lived a very unconventional life. She was a lesbian who had a permit to crossdress, which was encouraged by her family ). She received a gold medal at the salon of 1848. As stated “ “girls are going places” (guerrilla girls 46) A
In conclusion, Women went through many hardships in order to be able to do their passion. Although women are slowly gaining rights, they still have limitations in society. Women went from not being able to step foot out of their households in the middle ages to being rewarded and recognized by the entire world in the 19th century.
works sited:
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. Langara College, 2016.
The Guerrilla Girls Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. Penguin Books, 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment