Project #1:
Women and Art
Lisa Stacy
ART 112 | Art History II
Shanda Plock
26 February 2015
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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).
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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).
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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).
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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).
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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).
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“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.
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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
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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.
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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).