WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

Conceptions of the Renaissance

Traditional interpretations

birth of the individual

men & women control own destinies

Recent interpretations

women’s destinies & identities linked to men

women had few choices

Renaissance values applied to men

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

Perceptions of Women

Christianity & the Church

“evil” women – Eve

“good” women – Virgin Mary

Greek & Roman ideas

Aristotle’s “deformed men”

second-class citizens

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

Perceptions of Women

Renaissance combined Christian & classical views

male = perfect, female = imperfect

represented opposites

MALE FEMALE

ACTIVE PASSIVE

COMPLETE INCOMPLETE

LIGHT DARKNESS

GOOD EVIL

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

Women’s Lives in the Renaissance

Domestic education & responsibilities

Life goal = marriage & procreation

Sexuality strictly controlled

Limited legal rights

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

The Importance of Class

Women of the working classes

important contributors to family economy labored inside & outside the home

usually did not contribute to family economy

Women of the upper classes

received some education

valuable in strategic marriages

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

The Exceptions

CHRISTINE DE PISAN (1364-1429)

France’s first woman of letters

Book of the City of Ladies: handbook for women

ruled Italian city-state of Mantua

ISABELLA D’ESTE (1474-1539)

created school for girls

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

The Exceptions

CATHERINE DE MEDICI (1519-1589)

rule France as regent for young son

great patron the arts

disguised as man, became soldier

CATARINA DE ERAUSO (1585-1640)

fought in Europe and the New World

WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

The Exceptions

SOFONISBA ANGUISSOLO (1532-1625) great Italian painter

gained international recognition

most important female painter of period

ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI (1593-1652)

served as court painter for several important rulers