Project #1: Women and Art Lisa Stacy ART 112 | Art History II Shanda Plock 26 February 2015 Stacy 2 The Renaissance period, the 14th through the 16th centuries, marked the evolution of the art world. The word Renaissance refers to a “rebirth” of art and culture. 1 Male dominance was a sign of the times. Women during this time period were essentially considered the property of their fathers and husbands. They had almost no rights and limited career options. Most women from the upper classes had a choice between marriage and the cloister. Poorer women however, were destined to a life of hard work in the fields or servitude. Many of them turned to prostitution or joined convents to work as servants for the nuns.2 Women were typically discouraged from participating in the arts and sciences. Faced with many obstacles, few women could become professional artists. It is not until the late Renaissance that we begin to see the emergence of women artists and patrons. The majority of the population was illiterate and needed visual imagery for guidance, Art during this time was a social necessity. While the art world was most certainly male dominated, the Renaissance is the first period in history in which a number of women artists achieved international reputations. Culture was changing due in large part to the adoption and practice of humanism, an emphasis on education and on expanding knowledge. The rise in women artists may be a result of this shift in thinking. Another possibility is the shift from craftsmen to artist. In the late Renaissance artists were expected to have knowledge of perspective, mathematics, ancient art, and study of the human body. During this time artist training began to move from the 1. Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II. (Boston, MA, USA: Clark Baxter, 2013), 406. 2. Victoria and Albert Museum. "Women in the Renaissance," http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/w/women-in-the-renaissance (accessed February 21, 2015). Stacy 3 master’s workshop to the Academy, women embarked on a long struggle (not resolved until the late 19th century) to gain full access to this training. 3 Training to become a professional artist was a long and arduous process. Aspiring artists began their training at a very young age, anywhere from age 7 to 15. Fathers would negotiate with a master artist to secure a place for their sons in a workshop. 4 Training practices mandated residence in a master’s house, therefore; artist training was closed to women. Women were also prevented from drawing from nude models. Women who became artists in the Renaissance and Baroque periods typically did so through association; they were usually (but not always) born into a family of artists. Several female artists began their careers in their fathers’ workshops. Some of these artists include Artemisia Gentileschi, Lavinia Fontana, Barbara Longhi, Marietta Robusti, and Fede Galizia. 5 Sofonisba Anguissola was a pioneer in portraiture and genre painting. Unlike many other female artists, she was not the daughter of an artist. Anguissola’s father provided her with a humanistic education and encouraged her and her sisters to develop their talents in the arts. Sofonisba and her sister Elena were Figure 1: Sofonisba Anguissola, Self-portrait, 1556. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 3. Wikipedia contributors, "Women artists," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women_artists&oldid=646763901 (accessed February 21, 2015). 4. Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II. (Boston, MA, USA: Clark Baxter, 2013), 414. 5. Artnet, "Women Painters during the Italian Renaissance," artnet news, http://news.artnet.com/art-world/women-painters-during-the-italian-renaissance-35656 (accessed February 21, 2015). Stacy 4 apprentices of Bernardino Gatti and Bernardino Campi. It was her father, recognizing her talent, who promoted her work in Italy and abroad. Sofonisba painted many self-portraits; all of which depicted her in a serious and dignified way. The focus was on her creative and intellectual achievements, not on her feminine beauty. She painted herself wearing black jackets, highnecked white collars, no jewelry, and an austere hair style. The Chess Game, 1555, is one of Anguissola’s best known paintings. Sofonisba’s composition shows innovation as she sets up a group narrative by using her sister’s as her subjects. The sisters are crowded around a chess game; each sister is looking to her next eldest sister. Instead of the typical needlework, prayer books, or pets held by females; Anquissola chose instead to show her sisters playing an intellectual game.6 Figure 2: Sofonisba Anguissola, The Chess Game, 1555. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 6. National Museum for Women in the Arts. "Sofonisba Anguissola," http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=116 (accessed February 21, 2015). Stacy 5 Lavinia Fontana is the first female artist who worked within the same realm of her male counterparts. Not only was she commissioned to paint portraits but also to paint religious and mythical themes, sometimes including female nudes. 7 Her paintings comprise the largest surviving body of work by any woman artist before 1700.8 It has been documented that Fontana was to have Figure 3: Lavinia Fontana, Self-Portrait at the Clavichord with a Servant, 1557. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons painted over 100 works; only 32 are definitely known today. 9 Figure 4: Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of a Noblewoman, 1580. [Public domain], Figure 5: Lavinia Fontana, Minerva Dressing, 1614. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 7. National Museum for Women in the Arts. "Lavinia Fontana," http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=2641 (accessed February 21, 2015). 8. Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II. (Boston, MA, USA: Clark Baxter, 2013), 630. 9. Artcyclopedia. "Women Artists of the Renaissance, Lavinia Fontana," http://www.artcyclopedia.com/hot/women-artists-of-the-renaissance-4.html (accessed February 21, 2015). Stacy 6 Judith Leyster was a Dutch painter her works include portraits, still lifes, and genre works. Judith does not come from an artist family and the details of her training are not clear. The speculation is that Leyster pursued painting as a result of her father’s bankruptcy. Leyster was an independent artist and had her own workshop, nearly unheard of at the time. She was a member of the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke and was the first registered female there. Her self-portrait Figure 6: Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait, 1630. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons shows her in more of a relaxed pose, a new direction from rigid poses in the self-portraits of earlier women artists.10 Towards the end of the Renaissance a new type of patron was beginning to emerge, women showed great significance as art patrons. One of most important patrons was Isabella d’Este; she defines female art patronage at this point in time. Over her lifetime, d’Este collected many artworks and antiquities. In addition to painting and sculpture her collection included ceramics, glassware, gems, cameos, medals, classical text, musical manuscripts, and musical instruments. Isabella became one of the most knowledgeable and committed art patrons of all Renaissance patrons, male or female. She left extensive records of her dealings with agents and artists in the form of her correspondence; more than 12,000 of her letters survive. As a patron Isabella was “collecting” the work of modern artists. 10. Wikipedia contributors, "Judith Leyster," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judith_Leyster&oldid=647321014 (accessed February 21, 2015). Stacy 7 “We are glad to hear that you are doing your utmost to finish our studiolo, so as not be sent to prison . . . you can paint whatever you like inside the cupboards, as long as it is not anything ugly, because if it is, you will have to paint it all over again at your own expense.” —Isabella d’Este to a Mantuan artist 11 Figure 7: Titian, Isabella d'Este, 1536. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Isabella’s portrait was painted twice by Titian, when she was 60 he risked his reputation by painting her from an image when she was 25 years old.12 11. Italian Renaissance Learning Resources: Units, Artists and Patrons. "Isabella d’Este Collects." http://italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-8/essays/isabella-deste-collects (accessed February 21, 2015. 12. About Education. "Isabella d’Este, Renaissance Arts Patron" http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medievalitalianwomen/a/isabella_d_este.htm (accessed February 21, 2015. Stacy 8 Works commissioned by Isabella d’Este: Figure 8: Andrea Mantegna, Pallas and the Vices, 1592. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Figure 9: Andrea Mantegna, Parnussus, 1497. Also known as Mars and Venus. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Stacy 9 Women were excluded from the academies. Why there are so few great artists before 1900 is certainly not a surprise. The cultural changes that happened during the Renaissance period set in motion the acceptance and rise of female artists and patrons. We have to marvel at the pioneers who had the courage to face the obstacles women dealt with during this time. The embracement of humanism allowed the chance for women to enter into what before them was a world ruled by men. Women such as Sofonisba Anquissola, Lavinia Fontana, and Judith Leyster set a precedent and have given the world a rich history and legacy of breathtaking art. Stacy 10 Works Cited About Education. "Isabella d’Este, Renaissance Arts Patron" http://womenshistory.about.com/od/medievalitalianwomen/a/isabella_d_este.htm (accessed February 21, 2015. Artcyclopedia. "Women Artists of the Renaissance, Lavinia Fontana," http://www.artcyclopedia.com/hot/women-artists-of-the-renaissance-4.html (accessed February 21, 2015). Artnet, "Women Painters during the Italian Renaissance," artnet news, http://news.artnet.com/art-world/women-painters-during-the-italian-renaissance-35656 (accessed February 21, 2015). Italian Renaissance Learning Resources: Units, Artists and Patrons. "Isabella d’Este Collects." http://italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-8/essays/isabella-deste-collects (accessed February 21, 2015. Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: A Global History, Fourteenth Edition, Volume II. Boston, MA, USA: Clark Baxter, 2013. National Museum for Women in the Arts. "Sofonisba Anguissola," http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=116 (accessed February 21, 2015). National Museum for Women in the Arts. "Lavinia Fontana," http://clara.nmwa.org/index.php?g=entity_detail&entity_id=2641 (accessed February 21, 2015). Victoria and Albert Museum. "Women in the Renaissance," http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/w/women-in-the-renaissance (accessed February 21, 2015). Wikipedia contributors, "Women artists," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women_artists&oldid=646763901 (accessed February 21, 2015). Wikipedia contributors, "Judith Leyster," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judith_Leyster&oldid=647321014 (accessed February 21, 2015).
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