Sexual Dynamics and Male Possession

      Women during the Middle Ages roles and life styles definitely changed during the Renaissance. In the Middle Ages women were expected to maintain the household, make and take care of children all while satisfying there husband.  A woman was basically the male’s doormat. While being subordinate to the father while in his household a women also played the same role with her husband. Unlike todays society women have say so in every move they make women back then did not. Property, education and money where things women during this time did not have access to. The luxuries of women during middle ages were just the fact that she had a roof over her head and food on the table. 

      

    "One of the few ways a woman could work as an artist was to be born into a family of artist that needed assistance in the family workshop (Guerrilla Girls 29). Again the idea of women being used when needed is not only projected in the household but also with any type of career opportunity. It was unheard of during the middle ages for a woman to be working for her own wages, or career. Shortly after this time period The Renaissance approached and the women began to get a clue. A lot of progression began in Bologna, Italy, which was a place, that feminist woman made their mark. Bologna is women's art and education was taken seriously. 

        

     Women like Lavina Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani and Artemisia Gertileschi illustrated early feminism in their work. These artist understood that gender roles was a huge demographic and it needed to be questioned and criticized, each of these artist created pieces that reflected essential parts of society during the The Renaissance. Gertilleschi's work "Susanna and the Elders “illustrated the sexual dynamics of male possession of the female body (Chadwick 108). Gentileschi’s work was impacted by her own life changing events of being a victim of rape. After being shunned and tortured throughout her city she felt the need to express her thoughts by painting. For many of the painters turning a life event was great inspiration for great work. 

Artemisia Gentileschi "Susanna and the Elders"

    Moving into the 19th Century also know as the reformed era had a growing middle class that changed the economic and social classes. " Reform movements were apart of the growing middle-class response to wide spread and economic changes (Chadwick 175)." This time period brought forth many more female artists that were middle classed with way more opportunity than most women period. Artist like Alice Walker painted situations with women with wealth and everyday issues.  In the paining "Wounded Feelings" Walker projects the higher class by illustrating the glamour’s clothing and showing a ball that mainly only the wealthy would attend. But as you start to analyze this painting its shown that Susanna the girl who seems to have everything is crying and unhappy with the young man behind her socializing with another lady. Walker is trying to project the idea of every woman has an inner struggle within themselves, and class doesn't define that emotional issue within. 

Alice Walker "Wounded Feelings" 

   

 From the middle Ages to the 19th century painting has experienced a change. Women began to see past the homemaker roles that kept them from enhancing in the world of opportunity. When women began to see what they were capable it was hard to silence. The Renaissance brought forth the first women who utilized many skills in the artistry to show that there was more to woman then maintaining under men.   

Works Cited
Women, Art and Society by Whitney Chadwick 
Guerrilla Girls by Guerrilla Girls