For my exhibition I decided to focus on the portrayal of women in the Italian Renaissance during the 15th century. Italy was divided into different city-states and was ruled by different families. These ruling families used their great wealth to commission art to display their wealth and decorate their homes. Therefore, the art created at this time was very telling about the beliefs and standards for women in this society. Through examining art and culture, women were intentionally portrayed differently than men and were viewed as beings with the purpose to please males’ desires. This is shown through the purpose of the painting, women positioning and clothes. An interesting aspect in this topic is comparing women portraying themselves vs the male perspective.
A popular type of painting commissioned by the wealthy is portraits, for they portray the likeness of the individual and convey their social status. Depending on the commissioner and purpose of the portrait there are certain features to focus on. The portrait could be accurate to the person’s appearance or be an enhanced version to fit with societal standards. Portraits may focus on outward appearance or the character of an individual. For example, a depiction of a saint would focus on containing symbols of miracles to demonstrate their holiness. The most common portrait depicts the person facing the side which pays homage to the traditional Roman coinage. In The Ideal Portrait of a Lady, Simonetta Vespucci was thought to be the most beautiful woman in Italy, since she had blonde hair, fair skin, and fit other expectations. The woman in the portrait is also wealthy based on the pearls in her hair, blue necklace, and detailed gown.
An observation made about the profile portrait, is by the woman not looking directly at the audience, it creates a sense of permission to think however you like with judgment by the subject. In “Women in Frames: The Gaze, the Eye, the Profile in Renaissance Portraiture”, the art historian Patricia Simons states, “The de-eroticized portrayal of women in profile meant female eyes no longer threaten the seeing man with castration.” (Simons 12) Context of these paintings demonstrate that even the direction a woman faced could be interpreted as sexual, showing how women were easily sexualized during this era. With hyper sexualization and the importance of religion, modesty was very important in this culture. The purpose of the commissioning portraits was for political influence, commemorating an event, or a gift. Female portraiture’s functions included representing the highest standard of beauty, commemorating the dead or celebrating a wedding. Portraits for weddings were known by the bride’s hairstyle, age, clothing, and jewelry. The purpose for female portraits indicates their value in society because they were painted for their appearance or their importance as a wife.
A great example of the difference in beauty standards between the genders is shown in Mars and Venus United in Love by Paolo Veronese. Mars is depicted with a hairy face, strong facial features with a tone body wearing armor. While Venus is blonde, has blue eyes, fair skin, round forehead and is hairless and is shown in the nude. Venus is relying on Mars by leaning on him, while he is knelt on the floor in a stable position covering her lower region. Venus also has her hand squealing her breast to make herself desirable. This depiction shows the societal expectations for these genders; women should be soft and submissive contrasting men’s role of being strong and dominant. This scene symbolizes the unity of their love as cupid ties them together with a love knot. The milk coming out of Venus’ breast and the horse being restraint symbolizes the tranquility of love.
Women were also to be portrayed in the nude because it served the male gaze but was not allowed to paint nude models to sustain their purity. Women were not allowed to be in apprenticeships and were often taught by their father. They also faced many other restrictions in the art world therefore female artists were uncommon. A very famous female artist was Sofonisba Anguissola. Her depiction of women differed from other works of the time because it didn’t portray women sexually or in traditional roles. The Wedding Feast at Cana with subtlety accentuates the importance of women in society by positioning them sitting next to Jesus in the wedding at Cana. The artist intentionally sat all the women next to Jesus while the men served the food. Contradicting the notion women exist for the purpose to serve men. St. Mary’s presence in the painting also sets a remainder of women’s important role in the story of Jesus. In Sofonisba Anguissola’s (another famous female painter) paintings, she would show her family members in their normal environment, like her sisters playing chess. This often humanized women and highlighted their intelligence.
In conclusion, the Italy Renaissance of the 15th century portrayal of women in art was an indication of the perceptions of society that women should fulfill a role to satisfy men. Women portraitures reveal the value of females in this culture and the possible oversexualization of the gender. The difference between male and female depictions conveys the different beauty standards. Female artists intentionally showed women as intelligent and important part of society through their art.
Work Cited
The Portraiture of Women during the Italian Renaissance, aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1170&context=honors_theses. Accessed 9 May 2023.
Person, et al. “Women in Frames: 3 : The Gaze, the Eye, the Profile in Renaissance Po.” Taylor & Francis, 23 Feb. 2018, www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429492839-3/women-frames-patricia-simons.
