Post #2 The Changing Views of Women

For several years in the Middle Ages even leading up to the Renaissance, women had very few rights and they basically were viewed as lower class citizens, in comparison to their male counterparts. Women were thought to be objects of male desire. They were in a sense domesticated to the home to bear the children and take care of the house. Women were not to be educated, most likely out of fear that they will surpass the men. Leading into the renaissance women continued to be viewed in this way but some were now making themselves known. Women were getting educated and selling art. But, the downside to this was that they were not supposed to do anything with this education they were supposed to stay at home.

Women in Europe in the middle ages had very little rights, many of them were “domesticated” they had to stay at home and have children and take care of them and the home. They had to be in subjection to the husband. They had to be this sort of “trophy wife” who was not only beautiful but a good caregiver to the children and most importantly the husband. Berger stated in his book, “to be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men.” This just reinforces the proposed role of women in the eyes of men.

Besides not working women were not supposed to be educated. Since it was basically a man’s world so to speak, this was all dictated by men. Men were probably or most likely feared women rising to the top. Literacy was out of the question for women since I guess it was okay to have an uneducated wife who should only take orders from the husband, be pretty and bear and take care of the children including the husband. There was this sort of stigma attached to the role of women and that is what made it harder for most of them to rebel against that. Not only had this but it made it more difficult for many women to get recognition for their work especially female artist.

Around the time of the renaissance many female artists who wanted to distribute their art they had a difficult time, since they were women. Women were not even allowed to participate in painting or sculpturing, that was higher art or that is what was considered art. Men wanted to set the precedent between what was art and what was craft and sculpting and painting was art that was for the men and sewing and lace making that was craft that was for women. (Chadwick 43) So women had to put up with this ignorant mentality. This did not mean that many women did not find ways around all of this. There is the example of Angelica Kauffman who was extremely talented. She was the daughter of a Swiss painter and she was gifted in art and singing. She sold enough paintings in a year that she was able to afford buying a house and settle down (Guerrilla Girls 43). But since she was a women if she married the husband inherited all of that, at least in the middle ages. Rosa Bonheur is another example she was a cross dresser and she stated that she did it to promote her work (Guerrilla Girls 48). Dressing as a man helped her sell more paintings. Edmonia Lewis was also very talented and a great artist she was sent to court for being accused of poising her roommates and later on also accused of stealing brushes (Guerilla Girls 50). She was black and a woman so this must have been why they were even harder on her. Talk about minority. Last I want to consider Judith Leyster who was also a great painter she had her own school and she had male students, it was hard enough getting female students and she had male so this indicated that she was good (Guerilla Girls 40). Through these movements the role of women was changing. The thought of being in subjection to the man was changing because women showed what they were capable of doing; through their works they showed that they were just as capable as their male counterparts. The renaissance opened the way for this.

In conclusion, women have come a long way; they challenged what was at the time the norm. The view that women had to be beautiful and stay at home and clean and cook and take care of the kids changed drastically. Women were not allowed to participate in certain forms of art but they found a way. A lot of them were great, even better than some men. They found ways of selling their art through pure talent, cross dressing as a man or even selling their art under their husbands name but, they did it. Even though women have come a long way there is still some prejudice against women in performing in certain things. It might not be as open as how it used to be back then but it certainly is still there. I strongly believe that this mentality or view of women is still embedded in the minds of many people , and especially many men.

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Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art and Society, Ed.

Thames and Hudson. New York, New York, 2007.print.

Girls, Guerilla. The Guerilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art,

 New York: La Guardia Place, 1998.print.