Female Artists Throughout the Years

The expected roles for women of the Middle Ages were those emphasized and illustrated by religion and religious (male) figures. Chadwick explains how women were “laboring in the service of God or for daily substance” and how life in general was “organized around work”(43). Women were under the ruling and power of males, and the only way they could somewhat free themselves from the patriarchy was to become nuns and live in the convents. Here is a link, whichthoroughly illustrates the life of a medieval woman. It consisted of a strict and non-negotiable standard set by men. The Middle Ages also consisted of dominant power of the Church and a Christian religious revival among the people. Chadwick states how women participated “in this spiritual revival”, Hildegard being an example, and established great religious pieces of art. Hildegard illustrated the spiritual visions she had and established immense respect for herself in the Church, even though she was a woman. In her art, she portrays herself having intense and exclusive visions from God. She was indeed a nun, who did not have to answer to a husband or father regarding her art. Another important artist, who is arguably the first women who made a living as an author, is Christine De Pizan. She was a courageous outspoken poet who crafted arguments against sexist scholars. In her work she portrays women who are working independently without men. Both these artists portray women as important figures of society who do not need men in respective aspects of religion or even everyday life.

(Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias f. IR, 1142-52) Prominence and importance is given to Hildegard herself, not the male priest.

As the times progressed, women’s rights and roles in the Renaissance did not. If a woman was fortunately born into a wealthy family, or into a family of artists, she had chances of exercising her artistic right. The greatest issue was education. Women were denied of this, and the wealthy ones had access to education by hiring a private instructor. Throughout the Renaissance era, we see this pattern of female artists emerging from wealthy families and often were daughters of famous artists. Two examples are Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi. Fontana is also regarded as a first in working as the same sphere as her male counterparts. She started “around 1570 in the style of her father and teacher, Prospero Fontana” (Chadwick 93). Fontana is famous for painting self-portraits and depicted herself as prosperous, and her fame is arguably unquestionable as she was also coined in contemporary times. Gentileschi was the daughter of famous painter, Orazio Gentileschi. Artemisia is officially the first female artist in history of Western art, whose historical significance is unquestionable. (Here are ten interesting facts about this profound artist). Her spite of patriarchy and sexism can be seen from her works, including the remake of her father’s painting “Judith and her Maidservants”. In this painting, Gentileschi accurately and respectfully depicts an intelligent heroine.

Moving into the 17^th and 18^th centuries, women continued to struggle with fighting against sexism and discrimination from men. Their roles didn’t change much, and women were expected to stay in the private sphere of society instead of the public. Since the subject matter changed, from portraits to domestic scenes and still live botany, works from female artists also changed. Unique and deviant work of artists such as Anna Maria Sybilla Merian and Angelica Kauffman raised confused brows in society. Merian’s volumes of hand painted flower engravings and illustrations of insects paved the way for scientific classification of species. Her “Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium” is “considered to be one of the finest works of botanical illustration ever” (Guerilla Girls 41). Kauffman’s interest in grand historic themes, which were reserved and were off limits to women, was also unique. Her “Vendor of Love” consisted of mythological subject matter of classic Greek/Roman style. It is truly a master of art, and was unconventional for a female artist to paint. Both these artists were bold to enter male dominant aspects of art and challenged the way women were expected to paint, and generally think.

(Maria Sybilla Merian, Metamorphosis Insectorium Surinamensium, 1705) Precise details for the classification of insects.

            

Finally comes the 19^th century, which wasn’t too long ago, and yet women were still expected to take care of their husbands and children. However what changed female roles was the industrial revolution and migration from rural villages to urban cities. Women were now working alongside men in factories (probably didn’t get paid equally), but couldn’t work alongside them in the art world. Many female artists dedicated their artwork in portraying this life of a woman who was working and raising her family, and was restricted in her freedom to live. Anna Blunden’s “The Seamstress” illustrated a woman of the lower class who was working tiredly and longing for freedom. Both poor and rich women longed for this freedom, and the subject in Blunden’s painting represents this conviction of women of this era. The impressionist female artists, Berthe Morisot for example, also changed the way women were interpreted in paintings. Paintings like “Mother and Sister of the Artist” were intimate, almost like a photograph. Women in the paintings were critical of the male gaze. Overall, as the times progressed, female artists were more experimental and obvious in their subject matter associating with feminism.

(Anna Blunden, The Seamstress, 1854) A worker looking out the window, longing to be outside.

Works Cited

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. New York, N.Y.: Thames and Hudson,1990. Print.

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