The Development of Roles of Women

“Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths.” ~Lois Wyse

In such a “Progressive Era” like today, women are still fighting for their corresponding equal rights. Many like to think that because we are in the twenty-first century these social issues are a thing of the past, but clearly many of these people have been blinded. Women today are not as different as the women from the Middle ages, the Renaissance, and the Nineteenth century. The woman from today is still belittled and looked down in society, she is still not equal to a man, and most certainly not free to make her own life choices.  This quote “ A woman must be a learner, listening quietly, and with due submission,” (Chadwick, 45) does not only reflect Medieval mentality, but also twenty-first century mentality as well. Back in medieval times, women were only viewed as servants and child bearers, they truly had no other purpose but to satisfy their husbands and take care of their families. Men thought that educating a woman would be a waste of time, “ Education was thought to interfere with a woman’s ability to be a good wife, and mother,” (Guerilla Girls, 22) Yet what makes a man think that women cannot handle it? Women for centuries have been playing the roles as mothers, sisters, lovers, intellectuals, and has never complained before. Could it be that men only enforce their patriarchal rules onto women because they feel threaten? Even with all the restrictions that women had back in medieval times, many were still able to prove their talents and intelligence by contributing to society. 

Illumination accompanying the third vision of Part I of Scivias

Elisabetta Sirani was one of the many to paint a controversial piece, one that is titled “Portia wounding her thigh.” Sirani’s painting displays the controversy of sexual differences by having Portia wound herself to prove herself trustworthy to Brutus. “Portia has to prove herself virtuous and worth of Political trust by separating herself from the rest of her sex” (Chadwick 101) Along with Sirani, Artemisia Gentileschi was another famous Renaissance painter who was known for her controversial pieces. In a time of misogyny, Artemisia was able to become the first woman member of the Accademia di Arte del Disegno in Florence.  Without any support or sponsorship, she became one of the most famous painters in the seventeenth century despite the hardships and discrimination. Many of her emotions and frustrations reflected through her art. Paintings of victims, suicides, and suffering women from myth and bible stories were displayed in her paintings. 

Portia Wounding Her Thigh (1664)

Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614-20

Although the medieval times were known as the “Dark Ages” women were shining their way through. Many were working artists in businesses that were owned by male family members, while others were living in convents as nuns. Even with all types of restrictions women were still becoming writers, artists, merchants, nuns and some even ran the kingdom while the men were away at war. Yet out of all these women the ones with the most freedom were considered to be the nuns. “Joining a convent freed women from the demanding roles of being wives and mothers” (GG, 21) which gave a new type of freedom to a woman, “ These nuns had an autonomy unknown to their sisters on the outside. They operated businesses, farmed, made tapestries, copied and illustrated manuscripts, composed and performed music. And educated one another.” (GG,22) One of the most influential and famous woman from medieval times was probably considered to be Hildegard Von Bingen who was a nun. She contributed to society by writing a book called “ Scivias” which she worked on for ten years, “ She presented 35 of her mystical experiences. Later she set apart Scivias to music, then dictated two more books of visions, wrote 63 hymns with music, a miracle play, a long treatise on natural history, and a book on medicine,” (GG, 24) Her work was indeed impressive and eventually praised by the Pope who gave her his blessings, which back in medieval times was considered to be a big accomplishment. It was clear that many women had the capacities and abilities to surpass many males, yet because of “Patriarchal beliefs” many were still restricted and forced to live in the shadows of men. 

The Renaissance is typically known to be as the time period of enlightenment, progressiveness, and new beginnings. Yet as “Progressive” as it was claimed to be, many feminist scholars begged to differ. The historian Joan Kelly-Gadol concluded that “The development of capitalism, adversely affected women by leaving them with less actual power than they enjoyed under feudalism.” (Chadwick, 66) Which means that during the renaissance, women actually lost more power and privileges than ever before, yet once again this did not stop women from succeeding and seeking freedom and power. It was difficult for many women for they lacked education and skills, “Women’s virtues are chastity and motherhood; her domain is the private world of the family. Cautioning men not to confide affairs of business to women, but to look to their wives for family and comfort.” (Chadwick, 70) The Renaissance man was said to believe that women were destructive towards the creative process. But in actuality it was the other way around for there were many talented women who never got a chance. 

       Just how Florence had been the birthplace of the Renaissance, Bologna was another Italian city that was filled with talent and enlightenment. “The city of Bologna stood out from the rest of Europe in its attitude towards women” (GG, 30) The attitude that many shared in Bologna can be describe as progressive, accepting, and fair towards women. Women were allowed to attend to academies and universities without being mistreated or belittled. “ The city produced many learned women in philosophy and law. Its painter’s guild had a female patron, Caterina Vigri, an artist nun who later was canonized as saint Catherine of Bologna” (GG, 30) Female artists such as Lavania Fontana, and Elisabetta Sirani, were all Bolognese artists that were able to prove that they had talent and had the abilities to be successful just like any other male artists. In fact during this time period, many female artists were producing new movements in art, which many found controversial.

      Although there was a small progress during the middle ages and the renaissance, it wasn’t until the nineteenth century where women started to rattle things up. Opportunities for working class women, nuns, and other women in general began to rise and they were being offered to work for wealthy families. The nineteenth century was the time period associated with Industrial Revolution and the birth of a new social movement. “The 19^th century saw the war to abolish slavery in the U.S. and the beginning of women’s long struggle for equality” (Guerrilla Girls 47). Influential women such as Mary Cassatt played a role in encouraging other women to strive for more than just settling down and having a family. Cassatt worked with French impressionists and shared her collections of paintings. She was successful thanks to her own talents and was an example for other women artist and women in general. “Women artists existed in a contradictory relationship to the prevailing middle- class ideals of femininity. They were caught between a social ideology that prohibited the individual competition and public visibility necessary for success in the arts, and the educational and social reform movements that made the nineteenth century the greatest period of female social progress in history” (Chadwick 177). 

 

      Overall women have always had big obstacles to face though out history. Yet that has never stopped any of them from finding success one way or another. Women’s roles did progress a little as time passed, but even till today the fight for equality is still going on. Hopefully soon women will be able to be liberated from the shadows, and be able to stand directly next to men without having to be belittled or discriminated. 

Works Cited

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

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

Penguin, 1998. Print.