This module covers the Medival era through the sixteenth century and into the seventeenth century. It focuses on women’s opportunities to access education. Such access was at best difficult, but due to family workshops in guilds, dual monasteries, and nunneries’ scriptoriums, some women learned academic subject matter and received training in the arts. Works produced by women at this time included manuscript illuminations, textile arts (including embroidery), and paintings.
By end of this module, you should able to
The “Women in World History” site includes modules and case studies that can be used for project research and discussions.
The Analyzing Evidence section, Paintings and Prints, presents what to look for and consider when analyzing a work of art and offers text, changing imagery, and audio media resource examples.
The Case Studies section is helpful in general to give examples of other types of case studies, from which you may gain and apply different perspectives to your own projects.
The Primary Sources section gives resources from various regions from around the world.
The Modules section provides introductions to different eras in roughly chronological order, including specific artists. Not all topics directly address visual art but enrich with contextual backgrounds of the eras.
This resource covers several women artists from the Medieval period to the present. Specific sections will be covered according to the historical chronology in conjunction with all modules related to women in art.
A list of seventeenth century women artists and thier works.
This article by Alixe Bovey looks across manuscripts illuminated from the Romanesque and Gothic eras and describes the roles of women in culture at the time.
This site includes an extensive introduction to the women artists of the Middle Ages, including separate indexes of known artists by name, anonymous artists, and illuminators.
This resource addresses lesser-known women artists from the medieval period, their depictions of women, and how the depictions differed from those of male artists. Includes signed depictions of recreation of life, “using the ancient and sacred art of giving forms and colours to the unrepresentable divinity, through weaving, through embroidery, that is, through their most daily, most utilitarian tasks, and also through drawing and painting.”
This link provides several resources covering medieval art and architecture. This is useful for your research, especially for term projects.
Throughout the Renaissance, women were became challenged to gain access to education, patrons, and subjects that were more accessible to their mail artist counterparts. The perception of women as artists during this time was summarized by Georgio Vasari who wrote The lives of the Artits, essentially becoming the first art historian and writing as a contemporary of many of the artists from this time. In his discription for Properzia de'Rossi, he highlights the Renaissance notion that women aritsts were an anomoly but several were important enough for him to mention in his writing. The shift toward Humanism further limited the subjects that were considered proper for women to learn versus men, leaving women without formal understanding of mathematics or proportion that was highlighted as Renaissance artistic ideals.
Artemisia Gentileschi Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614-20
Artemisia Gentileschi was a female artist who was instructed by her father, Orazio, who was strongly influenced by Caravaggio’s style. Her work often depicts dark subject matter. Historians often attribute themes such as Judith slaying Holofernes with Gentileschi's personal struggles as a female within a male dominated society. The story in the painting refers to a Jewish story of Judith who, after coercing the general to take her to his tent, assasinates the Assyrian to avoid battle. The heroic female theme is well painted in comparison to much of her other work, and demonstrates her ability to overcome as a female artist at this time.
Question: After reading our Resources, respond to the following:
What educational opportunities were available to women in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance? How did they receive art training or did they?
1. Select either the Middle Ages or the Renaissance.
2. Give a brief explanation using information about a particular female artist or group.