Middle Ages to Victorian Period by Malwina Maczka

The Middle Ages are synonymous with Dark Ages. It was a time period of a strict feudal system, where society was divided into neat little sections with no possibility of class mobility. During the Middle Ages Christianity played a large part in society as well. Books and literacy were only allowed for Clerics and other authority of the Church, especially the Bible which was strictly in Latin. The average person did not know the Bible except from what was taught to them at mass by priests, and what was presented at plays they attended. During the Middle Ages absolute monarchy reigned over the people, while disease and death also exercised its powers over populations. It was a period of gothic architecture, and of art that was created in monasteries.  Typical style of art in this time period involved religious depictions and flat backgrounds. Women's lives during the Middle Ages, according to Chadwick, "were organized around work" (Chadwick 43). Although women were assigned the role of the caretaker and obedient to her husband, they also helped with "management of family property and in general economic life" (Chadwick 44). Women also took part in monastic life, and Hildegard was able to let her creativity flow through her visions from God. Women, like men, worked hard most of their lives during this time. Women who were not part of the monasteries were lucky to be educated by other males in their life, like husbands or fathers. A great example is Christine de Pizan. She was educated by her father, and when her husband died she was left penniless with children to support. She began writing for the aristocrats, and her work made her famous. Although there was art emerging from those times, progress was very slow because of lack of education and the privilege of literacy so rare. The shadowing of past history and knowledge by the church is a reason why Medieval times were dark.

Christine de Pizan being a boss and proving the men that women are awesome
while all the guys are trying to swallow their pride

Then times started to change. Mercantilism grew favorable, and began to challenge the accepted class structure. Martin Luther nailed his Theses to the Church door and challenged authority. A new emergence in interest of the classical age swept through the Western World. Back are the Greek and Roman ideas and style of art. The role of women also began to change.  The world began to expand, and women were forced into the private sphere. "Women were barred from participating in governmental patronage that created the public face of Renaissance Italy, and they played no part in guild commissions" (Chadwick 68). Linear perspective developed during the Renaissance created depth and realism to painting. Subjects of art go from the ocular to the secular world, and portraits emerged during this time. Portraits represented position, wealth, social standing, "and refocused attention on women's costume, demeanor, and material embellishment" (Chadwick 75). In this sense, females were viewed as mannequins and the viewer's attention focused on her decorations. Sofonisba Anguissola was a female portraitist in sixteenth century Renaissance. Like Christine de Pizan, she was lucky to have a father who educated her and taught her painting. She painted a self portrait of herself in plain dark clothing rather than with gold patterns and expensive lace fluttering everywhere. Furthermore, Artemisia Gentileschi's story showed the twisted laws of Renaissance era that held women's security in low regards. She was sexually assaulted and had to marry her rapist in order to salvage her name from shame. When the man withdrew his marriage proposal, it was her father who submitted a grievance to court. According to Guerrilla Girls page 36, Artemisia was also questioned and tortured for long periods of time on the subject. Although the Renaissance brought forth a new age with education more accessible, artisans slowly turned to artists, and the development of guilds, it still left women powerless and unequal.

Sofonisba Anguissola's self portrait.
She's showing off her skill rather than looks,
A true girl boss 

Nineteenth century brought forth new ideas, and the changing lives of women. Industrialization brought forth a large middle class. "Novels, plays, paintings, sculpture, and popular prints contributed to forging a coherent middle class identity out of diverse incomes" (Chadwick 175). Victorian England was also about stifling the female sexuality. Thus emerged the virgin and whore dichotomy, the virgin being praised and the fallen woman painted as a warning to others of her guaranteed demise. It also marked an increasing amount of working class women as deviant, because they cannot be financially dependent and sit around all dressed up and being pale. In Nineteenth Century America, women were important in building colonial America and then take part in Civil War effort as nurses and single mothers. During this time period women mostly painted domestic scenes and other women, because women were still kept in the private scene. But, there were many laws being passed around this time, including reform for working environment. Child labor, hazardous machines, and female pay inequality were among the few serious complaints people had. Anna Blunden paints The Seamstress in order to express some of the frustration and call for reform. A woman praying to an open window, hoping to be saved from all the hard work she was forced for indecent pay and indecent working conditions. It is quite heartbreaking seeing the woman yearn for the open sky while she is cramped inside by economic slavery. Although nineteenth century brought forth positive changes such as women's rights to divorce and ability to earn own wages and be somewhat economically independent, but it also brought new problems like environmental pollution that impacted women's health and hazards at work.

The seamstress is yearning for the pollution filled sky
See that smog by the city? Ew..
But anything is better than being stuck in a dark room sewing 

Works Cited: 
Guerilla Girls Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art, Penguin Books 1998
Women, Art, and Society by Whitney Chadwick, Thames and Hudson ltd 4th edition 2007