Women At The Forefront Of The Baroque Era

There were just as many Baroque women artists as there were during the Renaissance period. Most Baroque female artists came from artist families, who were trained in their father’s workshops and worked along side their fathers on commissioned pieces.

Women artist of this period changed the way women were depicted in art. Female artists during the Baroque era were not permitted to train form nude models because all nude models were male, but they were very familiar with the female body. Therefore, they created images of women as conscious beings rather than detached muses.

Still Life emerged as an important genre during the Baroque era and women were at the forefront of this painting trend. Since women could not train from nude models, Still Life was particularly suited to them because they could easily access the materials for still life.

The high point of painting during this era was history painting, particularly large-scale compositions with groups of figures depicting historical or mythical situations. To create such paintings, artists studied casts of antique sculptures and drew from male nudes. Women were limited or had no access to academic learning and as such, there are no large-scale history paintings by women from this period.

Some women made their way, as artists through other genres by creating portraits and other women were innovative in their ability to compensate for their lack of training, by painting allegorical scenes they were able to sell.

Women artists of the late 18^th century had made important strides forward by being accepted into academies and being permitted to showcase their work in exhibitions. Once again, women were being accepted as academic students.

To see a Baroque Art Print Poster click on image:

Baroque I by Ahava 24"x24" Art Print Poster

Renaissance Women Were Artists, Poets, Musicians and Scholars

The rise in women artists during the Renaissance period was due to a major cultural shift. Female artists gained international reputations during this era.

A shift towards humanism, a philosophy affirming dignity for all people, which was central to Renaissance thinking and assisted in raising the status of women. 

 

During the Renaissance there were stories of allegorical cities where independent women lived free from slander of men. Real women artists were included in these stories and some texts led to increased education for women. Popular works stated men and women should be educated in the social arts, which made it acceptable for women to engage in visual, musical and literary arts.

Many female artists depicted themselves in self-portraits not just as painters, but as musicians and scholars, thereby highlighting their well-rounded education.

With the rise of humanism there was a shift from craftsmen to artists. Artists, unlike earlier craftsmen were expected have a viewpoint and be educated in mathematics, ancient art and the human body.

In the late Renaissance the artist’s training began to shift from the master’s workshop to the academy; this began a long struggle for women to continue to have access to education and training as artists until the late 19^th century.

It was essential for an artist’s to study the human body and this required working from male nudes and corpses. Women were usually barred from this training; therefore they were excluded from creating scenes that were required for the large-scale religious compositions, which received the most prestigious commissions.

Usually the few women who experienced small success as artists during the 15^th and 16^th century were nuns or children of painters, which permitted them to gain training from their fathers workshop. 

To see the Seated Woman I art print by Lanie Loreth click on image:

Seated Woman I PREMIUM GRADE Rolled CANVAS Art Print Lanie Loreth 12x12

Medieval Period Documented Women Artists

Clearly demonstrated examples of women at work in the arts during the medieval period are documented in the manuscript illuminations, embroideries, jewelry, carved capitals, and other forms of art created during this historical period. Women also worked as brewers, butchers, wool merchants and ironmongers (metal merchants). 

Female artist during this era were from a small subset of society, whose status permitted them freedom from more strenuous types of work. These women artists were often from two literate classes, either wealthy aristocrats or nuns. Nuns often created embroideries and textiles.

Women have been creating jewelry from seashells, stones, found items, semi-precious stones, precious stones, metals and other materials for more than 100,000 years.

Isn’t interesting women have been creating art since the beginning of time just as men have and yet most female artist are not acknowledged as professional artists. Why is this???

To see a Norma Jean design click on image: 

Festive Bead Necklace with Orange Quartz Diamond Shaped Stone

Women in Art

Women have been involved in creating art since the beginning of time despite the difficulties experienced in receiving training, trading their work and gaining recognition.

The best period for women artists was during the Middle Ages. It was later introduction of drawing from life models that made it harder for women to obtain specialized training, which became a requirement to be known as a professional artist due to reasons of decorum.

During the latter part of the twentieth century, historians have made an effort to rediscover the artistic accomplishments of women and give female artists their due place in narrative of art history.

There are no records of who the artists of the prehistoric eras were, but studies of many early ethnographers and cultural anthropologists show that women were often the principal artisans in the cultures considered as Neolithic and Paleolithic, creating pottery, textiles, cave paintings, baskets, jewelry and music. Collaboration on large projects by women during these eras was common.

To see a Minoan Snake Goddess click on image:

Minoan Snake Goddess Statue from Knossos Palace