High Renaissance

When I think of the High Renaissance, I think of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, curvy bodies and vibrant colors, so I was surprised when I learned that this piece is also a High Renaissance work of art. Why this painting is so very popular is certainly a mystery to me. Perhaps because it was done by one of the world’s most famous artists, Leonardo da Vinci. Another reason for its popularity could be the fact than in 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre and later rediscovered in a hotel in Florence a couple of years later. The painting is done with oil on wood and features what some believe to be a portrait of a Florentine woman. Others believe this work to be Da Vinci’s self portrait, but no one can be sure either way. The painting features a woman, slightly smiling and sitting in front of a mysterious background. It is a rather simple painting, but is considered the prototype Renaissance portrait. This painting is significant because it depicts a time when non-holy women could finally be painted and depicted in art. Da Vinci’s painting divulges from the usual standards that a woman must have if she is to be painted, as the Mona Lisa is obviously no Virgin Mary, which is a refreshing take.

Early Renaissance

This painting was done by one of the most famous early Renaissance painters of all time, Sandro Botticelli. The work is believed to have been commissioned by the Medici family, one of the most influential and wealthy families at the time. The painting symbolizes springtime, and it depicts Venus, the goddess of love, and other women dancing and frolicking in a garden. The three woman in white on the left are called Graces, and they are Venus’ female companions. This painting was quite controversial at the time. In an era that was predominantly Christian, here was a very overt painting featuring a pagan goddess along with mythological symbolism. I don’t think it helps that the women are scantily clad, with draping, almost see-through gowns that seem so be falling off. I also think this painting is significant because although Botticelli’s depictions go against the mainstream view of religion and women during his time period, he certainly took a risk and created a lovely and interesting piece that has since been analyzed and admired by many. Also, I think his way of depicting his subjects’ curvature is refreshing after viewing so much art featuring strangely unnatural bodies and straight lines.

Fourteenth Century

Pictured to the left is a religious alter-piece done by Simone Martini of Italy. This piece is a beautifully done work that features one of the most popular themes in Christian history, the Annunciation. It features the Angel Gabriel giving the message of Christ’s birth to Mary, and the scene is depicted over a beautiful and impressive background of gold-leaf. One interesting aspect of this work is the fact that Martini literally created the piece with actual written words flowing from Gabriel’s mouth in Mary’s direction, depicting his message to her so that the painting could also be read. Mary sits and quietly listens, looking reverent and modest, and is depicted in blue like always. This painting shows the importance of the Virgin Mary in Christian religion and the significance of the Annunciation scene, as it is a theme that is often repeated.

Gothic

This is a sculpture from the Gothic period that is depicting the Virgin Mary with Christ. She stands in a sort of s-curve posture, which was quite typically for Gothic sculpture. She and the Christ Child are both depicted in rich garments, and she is wearing a large crown. This sculpture shows Mary in a very different way. In previous works of art, Mary is usually shown in a humble or sorrowful way. Here, she is more than Christ’s mother; she is someone to be regarded and worshiped. However, it still follows along with the tradition of sculpting and painting holy women associated with Christ and the bible. Besides the new way that this sculpture depicts Mary, it also shows a more naturalistic side of her and Christ as well. Whereas many figures beforehand were shown flat with little dimension and unexpressive faces, here Mary’s stance and body are both idealistic and naturalistic at the same time.

Romanesque

From the Romanesque period we have the Bayeux Tapestry, which features the famous Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD. The battle was fought between Duke William II of Normandy and King Harold II of England, and it was a battle centered around the conquest of England. Harold II was killed in the battle and King William ended up conquering, giving William control of England. Although the actually tapestry has few depictions of women, this particular section shows a woman and her child trying to escape their burning house, which has been set on fire. Despite the few depictions of women, the impressive tapestry (which is over 230 feet long) was made by talented English craftswomen and consists of embroidered linen with colored thread.

Early Medieval

Okay...I know. I know this has absolutely nothing to do with Medieval art, but honestly after looking at pictures of stained glass and Virgin Mary's for hours...I just kind of gave up on finding something to write about for the Medieval art time period. Maybe it's because this time period is not very interesting to me, and maybe it's because I am completely burned out and ready to graduate next week and the last day of class is tomorrow (tomorrow!). Either way, I wanted to include this photo because although it has absolutely nothing to do with Medieval art, it makes me happy and gets me excited for life after finals and papers and group projects. Yay!

Islam

This particular work for Islam is taken out of their sacred book, the Koran. Women are mentioned often in the Koran, and below are just a few passages that mention women:

"Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them." -Chapter 4, Verse 34

"And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them." -Chapter 2, Verse 227

"They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loveth those who turn to Him, and loveth those who have care for cleanness." -Chapter 4, Verse 222

"O Prophet! Tell they wives and they daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognized and not annoyed." -Chapter 33, Verse 59

These verses in regards to women depict the beliefs of Islam at the time regarding the conduct of women and relations between a man and a women. These versus can also perhaps be reflections on the beliefs of certain cultures in Islam today.

As I was doing research and reading for this particular subject, I found a lot of anti-Muslim literature in which the Koran was scrutinized and made out to be extremely unjust and sexist. While after reading the above versus that accusation seems to be true, it is important to remember that often the context in a certain verse can often be misinterpreted. I feel like I am more empathetic towards believers of the Koran because of my own experience with my personal religious beliefs and dealing with the anti-Mormon literature that goes along with being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

While I do not agree that women are below men in any way, that a woman's menstrual cycle is an "illness" and men should keep away during that time of the month, or that women should constantly veil themselves in public, I am trying to give the Koran the benefit of the doubt and would like to think that those versus were intended for the overall protection and safety of women, not for their restriction or belittlement in society.

Byzantine

Around 530 CE, Justinian was crowned emperor of the Byzantine empire. His wife Theodora was by his side and crowned augusta, or empress, of the empire. Many argue that she was the most influential and powerful woman of the Byzantine era. In fact, Theodora has her own mosaic housed in the San Vitale, an octagonal-shaped church in Italy that was dedicated the year that Justinian became emperor. San Vitale is known for its amazing mosaics, and Theodora's is no exception. Her mosaic, entitled Empress Theodora and Retinue, is located in the apse of the church, opposite Justinian's. She is pictured with her attendants and holds a chalice, which accompanies the paten (bread basket) that Justinian is holding in his mosaic. The two closest women next to her have detailed faces when compared to the rest of the attendants, and it is believed that they are Theodara's very closest friends. This piece of art is significant because it shows the power and influence this woman had in the Byzantine era, as well as the mixture of the church and the state. The fact that she is depicted in the apse of the church is also significant, considering many representations of women in Christianity are of the Virgin Mary, Eve, and other significant gospel figures.

Early Christian

It its beginnings, Christianity was faced with resistance and enmity. Although the religion spread quickly, Christians were persecuted relentlessly for years. Romans in particular distrusted the religion and as a result persecuted many of Christianity's followers. Romans typically were uninterested in their subjects' religious beliefs, but Christianity hit a sore spot with Rome because Christians were unwilling to worship the pagan Roman gods, and as a result they were seen as traitors to the state. Romans also believed that Christians were atheist because they denied the existence of the Roman gods. For these reasons, it was extremely hard and even very dangerous to be a Christian in the earlier years. This is a fresco of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and it is entitled Virgin and Child. This fresco is very significant in that it is the first known depiction of the Virgin and Child, a subject that would become a common theme in Christian art. A fresco is a wall painting done on wet plaster, and this fresco depicts Mary sitting with the baby Jesus on her lap. Next to Mary stand a figure, which some believe to be Isaiah. The figure points to baby Jesus with one hand and to a star with the other hand, and this is believed to signify the fulfillment of prophesy. In the foreground there are sheep and flowers. This painting was done in 250 CE, which was an especially turbulent time for Christians. In 250 CE an empire-wide persecution of Christians commenced under Emperor Decius of Rome. It wasn't until 312 CE that a decree was made in Milan that finally allowed the toleration of Christianity as a religion.

Rome

In Rome, as well as Greece, women were secondary to men. Women were worse off during the republican period, where they were always subordinate to the men of the household. They could not represent their interests in court or hold public positions in office. Things got a little better for women during the imperial period in Rome, after the patriarchal system of the republican period was broken down. In literature of this period, women are praised for their whit, their beauty, their knowledge, and their accomplishments.

The selected text is from the imperial age, and is entitled An Admirable Bride, written by Pliny the Younger. They are selections from a series of books known as the Letters. In this selection, Pliny writes a letter to his aunt which is full of praise about his wife and how wonderful she is. He credits his aunt for how well she raised his wife, and tells his aunt that she may as well have been his wife's father. This shows how the imperial age influenced the written word with regards to women, and gives an example of some of the things that were being written about women in this time period.

"You show us all how we should love our own family. Your brother was a fine man. You loved him as much as he loved you. You now love his daughter as if she were your own. You are not only an aunt to her but also a father."

"She is sharp and very careful. I am the only man she loves and that shows you what sort of girl she is. She also likes reading literature. She has got that from me. She has all my books which she reads. She has also learnt them by heart."

"You should see her when I am about to go to court. How worried she is! When I have finished speaking there, how pleased she is."

"This is why I am sure our happiness will grow as the days go by and last for ever. She is not in love with me as I am nor with my body. This will grow old and weak as time goes by. She loves me for what I stand for. This is just what I would expect from someone who has been educated by your hands. She has been trained in your camp and she sees only what is holy and honest."

"So each of us must fall over each other to thank you. I, because you gave her to me, and she because you gave me to her. You would think we had chosen each other."

Classical Greece

Aphrodite of Cyrene was sculpted by Praxiteles in the Classical Greek period, around 100 BCE. Praxiteles was a sculpture who dominated greek art from the fourth century, and he had great influence on artists of his day. Aphrodite of Cyrene represents the beginning of the depiction of the female human body as an object of beauty, and this sculpture was one of the first in Western art to combine the concept of sensuality with the nude female form. Sculptures of the human form during this time were influenced by the Greek concept of the canon of ideal human form or proportions, which was the belief that the perfect human body followed a special mathematical harmony, and this harmony made the human body truly beautiful. Figures of this time period were also very anatomically correct, as the Aphrodite shows. I think that this sculpture perfectly balances realism with idealism. The Aphrodite looks real, but she is also created beautifully and idealized to give a sort of real ideal.

Early Greece

Around this time period, Egypt still had some influence on Greek art, especially sculpture. Still, Greek art was also starting to display its own unique artistic concepts and designs. Pictured to the left is Peplos Kore, which was created around 530 B.C.E. Earlier kouroi had heavy Egyptian influence, with rigid postures that resembled Egyptian cult statues. They were also placed in large temples, another aspect of Egyptian statues. When this Peplos Kore was made, however, Greek art was starting to form its own niche. The figure is more rounded and a bit more relaxed, which shows a gradual development from earlier, similar statues. One significant detail is that male kouroi from this same time period were nude, while the females were clothed. Although today Peplos Kore looks white and faded, this sculpture was originally painted in vibrant colors, which added to the richness and importance of the piece.

Egypt

The work for Egypt that I have chosen is a poem from the New Kingdom. It is entitled "The Songs of the City of Memphis". This is a significant work because it actually consists of two poems, and the first one is recited by a woman. This shows the relative importance and significance of women in ancient Egypt. The poem also gives insight into the culture and values of ancient Egypt as the poetry centers around love, the human body, and pleasure.

The Songs of the City of Memphis

If I am not with you, where will you set your heart?

If you do not embrace me, where will you go?

If good fortune comes your way, you still cannot find happiness.

But if you try to touch my thighs and breasts,

Then you'll be satisfied.

Because you remember you are hungry

would you then leave?

Are you a man

thinking only of his stomach?

Would you walk off from me

concerned with your stylish clothes

and leave me the sheet?

Because of hunger

would you then leave me?

or because you are thirsty?

Take then my breast:

for you its gift overflows

Better indeed is one day in your arms...

than a hundred thousand anywhere on earth.

Distracting is the foliage of my pasture

the mouth of my girl is a lotus bud,

her breasts are mandrake apples,

her arms are vines,

her eyes are fixed like berries,

her brow a snare of willow,

and I the wild goose!

My beak snips her hair for bait,

as worms for bait in the trap.

Ancient Near East

The first piece of art to be examined is from the Paleolithic period, which was roughly 2,000,000 to 8,000 BCE. Pictured to the left is the Venus of Willendorf, one of the earliest sculptures in the world. The Venus is a sculpture of a woman, more specifically a very large, curvaceous woman with a large belly and breasts. She is disproportionate and does not look natural, with a featureless face and all the emphasis placed on her curves. This sculpture suggests the importance of the woman's role in the Paleolithic world. People in this time period viewed women as the source of birth and life, and the aspects of the Venus exhibit their preoccupation with this role. This also suggests their underlaying belief of a more feminine power or force, which is also known to have served as a central religious belief in later periods.

About

This is a journal project for Humanities 201. On this blog I will focus on the topic of women and their portrayal in art, text, and/or sculpture from the Ancient Near East up until the Renaissance era.