Gender roles, subject, and power
The middle ages can be seen as a time of darkness and chaos due to the fall of the great Roman empire, and this is especially true with the rights of women during this time. After the fall of Rome, it was seen as the destruction of civilization and there was no leader to abide too. This is when the Pope came to supreme power and began to control all of western Europe and set the moral regulations. The catholic church set up so the women were taught to listen to the superior males. According to some, women were considered as “...the virtual prisoners of men in their lives,” (Guerrilla Girls 19) and this shows that women really had no personal freedom and spent most of their lives listening and obeying the men in their lives. The main role of women was to tend to the house and husband, whom they could not choose. This meant they had to do all of the housework such as cooking, cleaning, as well as looking after the children while themselves, sometimes were a young age. Women had no rights compared to what they have today, and this includes the right to an education. However, if they chose to become nuns and devote their entire lives to christianity, they were given a basic education. Many women during this time were unable to write and draw which is why there is very little art from women. There were exceptions such as Herrad of Landsberg, who was an abbess and taught young girls at the convent, that were able to for the first time express themselves through art. This self portrait (shown below) is important because it was one of the first times a women painted a picture of themselves and it was a first step for women artists before going into the renaissance.
Herrad of Landsberg selfportrait (1180 ca.)
Although the renaissance is considered a big leap forward from the dark ages, it was but a small step for women. They gained little to no rights, freedom wise, coming out of the middle ages although more female artists were able to emerge and make a name for themselves. Women were also able to get jobs outside of their homes but “Most of the highly skilled artisans were now men; women were relegated to areas that required fewer skills” (Chadwick 68) and because of this it was more common for girls of a young age to get a basic education at elementary schools. To teach these classes, “Nuns were considered particularly proficient teachers of a skilled practiced across class lines of both amateurs and professionals.” (Chadwick 68). In this regard Nuns were respected as good teachers, thus many of teachers at the time were women. When it came to arts a few women artists were able to emerge, but the one that gained almost global recognition was Sofonisba Anguissola. When she was a child she got a well rounded education, but what gives her her recognition is how her paintings defied all of the standards during the time.
Self portrait (1554)
For example, her self portrait depicts a very different view of women in paintings than anything else. Most paintings of women during the time contained half naked women in positions that show the male gaze. Since she was opposed to that she depicted herself in very bland clothing with a very basic haircut. She also has a book in her hand which indicates she wants everyone to know that she is smart intellectual women. By doing this she overcomes the cliche of depicting women in objectifying ways. Her facial expression also indicates that she is not in peril or vulnerable like most women are shown.
Going into the nineteenth century women did not gain any more legal rights than from the renaissance. On the other hand, it was also more common for young girls to get an education so they can complete their housley duties as well as other skills such as needle work. Career wise, any female that wanted to pursue anything was considered a blue stocking. The bearer of the name was considered unfeminine because it was a way to try and surpass male superiority. Female artists at the time were more abundant, but at the same time there were not many. The paintings portrayed the struggles and hardships women had to deal with such as the job inequality. Women, a majority of the time, were not able to attain high paying and ranking positions in government or society. For example, in Anna Blundens The Seamstress she depicts a lower class women praying for a better future for herself. Since she is a women she is stuck tailoring and seaming clothes even though she may have higher aspirations. This painting is relate able to a majority of women during the time because they were stuck with low paying and skill jobs, even though they knew they were capable of much more.
Anna Blunden, The Seamstress, 1854
Works Cited:
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, art and society. Thames and Hudson, 2015.
The Guerrilla Girls bedside companion to the history of Western art. Penguin Books, 2006.
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