Women have existed from the start of time, but there was a point in time that women were to be seen and not heard. During the Middle Ages, women had no power in society and no say in anything. The only women that had any sort of significance or presence in anything were those apart of monasteries and even these nuns were forced to stay quiet. Chadwick writes, "Within the covent women had access to learning even though they were prohibited from teaching by St. Paul's caution that a woman must be a learner, listening quietly, and with due submission. I do not permit a women to be a teacher, nor must a woman domineer over a man; she should be quiet" (p. 45). During the Middle Ages, the Church dominated almost every aspect of life. As Chadwick describes, “Women’s social roles remained circumscribed by a Christian ethic that stressed obedience and chastity," yet the “physical rigors of medieval life encouraged women to take significant in the management of family property and in general economic life” (p. 44).
There were two options for women during the Middle Ages. You either stayed at home or you became a nun, as these women "operated businesses, farmed, made tapestries, copied and illustrated manuscripts, composed and performed music” (Guerrilla Girls, p. 22). Therefore, regardless of the various social constructs that restricted women, they still engaged in various jobs like masonry and manuscript illuminating. It was really only women lucky enough to be born into upper class families that had special privileges from the men in their families. The only women really recognized were those born into these upper class families. If a woman was born into a noble household, the woman would be much more recognized due to her family background. Hildegard of Bingen, also known as the Herrad of Landsberg, was one of these lucky women. She was considered a popular author, composer, artist, pharmacist, and more. While one would not think that a woman in the Middle Ages could hold such positions, Herrad was more privileged than most women of her time. Since she was both a Nun and from a noble family, she was permitted to study and practice medicine, art, religion and much more.
We start to see women's work in monasteries, as they recreated different works. They were known to recopy works, like those of the bible. The ideal example of this is Herrad of Landsberg's Hortus Deliciarium (after 1170). The women depicted in this piece are named and in turn, individualized, rather than generic. This piece was considered a start to the depiction of distinct feminine ideals that in turn led to future works for women.
The Renaissance came to be when feudalism began to end and mercantilism started to spread. While the Renaissance was considered a culturally unique period, it was centered around men and their achievements. The Guerilla Girls share that women "were barred from painters' guilds or academies (except for the lace and silkmakers' guilds). They couldn't receive commissions or legally own an atelier"(p. 29). In order for women to be artists, they had to have been born into a family of artists. The ideal example of this during the time was Artemisia Gentileschi, whose family supported her art. Women who were actually looking to become artists usually worked under their fathers or other male artists before they could actually start creating their own work. Female artists, like Gentileschi, used their work in order to fight against women being the subject of the male gaze in most art work. Her work was powerful and portrayed many hidden meanings. When Gentileschi was a teen, she was raped by a painter. She then decided to take on patriarchy and defeat it through her artwork. In Gentileschi's, Judith Slaying Holofernes (1618) she depicts one woman holding down Holofernes on his bed, while the other woman slices his neck with a sword. Blood is depicted spraying everywhere, representing women's war on patriarchy.
In terms of the 17th and 18th centuries, a Middle Class begins to arise. The Middle Class was considered the patrons of art. They used this art that they were purchasing in order to present their "new" wealth. Women were creating art within what they were allowed to actually do. Women's artwork portrayed what they saw inside of their own home, rather than in public. The reason that female artwork was accepted was because it only ever displayed what was privately in the home and this was considered appropriate for women. While women were allowed a little more freedom to create art, they were still restricted by gender roles.
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As the 19th century came to be, we begin to see more of the actual public and outside world in women's art. For example, Rose Bonheur's 1853-1855 painting The Horse Fair depicts a horse market that women were typically not allowed to attend. Bonheur's actual focus in the painting is not on the men, but rather the horses and how they are being treated. We can draw the connection that just as the horses struggle, women do too. Women want to break free from men, just as the horses do in the market. While female artists are still not depicted as prominently as male artists in the world of art, they have come much further from where they began. Their art speaks for itself in the understanding that while men have depicted the outside world for so long in art, women bring a completely different perspective to art.
From depictions of women's art from the Middle Ages up until the 19th century, we see their art progressing from being private to more of the public sphere. Throughout time women have pushed boundaries and tested limits in order to become more appreciated in the art world. They have rebelled through their artwork and presented themselves as being just as great, if not better, than male artists. The level of sensitivity and detail that is portrayed in the art of women creates a solid boundary between their work and the work of men. They continue to fight against being objects of the male gaze, and rather presenting their power through their art work.
Works Cited
Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 2002.
The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.
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