How are female and male artists different? Is there a distinction that we can point out? Are there artworks that are particularly feminine or masculine? This show seeks to understand how different female artists have interacted with society’s perception of the “correct” place for a woman and how they have challenged the status quo.
Throughout the majority of history, not only were women’s bodies confined to the domestic environment, but they were also expected to have a limited mind and affections, because women were perceived as gentle creatures, “predisposed to care for others.” Thus, female artists were expected to create artworks that would reflect their tenderness and emotional sensitivity, with some of the most prominent examples being flowers, fruit, or gardens.
The artworks collected in this show are all created by female artists, and each sets a different angle on the way we see art and women’s role in society: these women not only made art that challenged culturally accepted norms, but they also defied the “place” imposed on them by simply being artists. Some do it through subject matter and others through literal depiction of women, and all are aiming to carve their path into the art world, which has historically been a male-dominated field. As you walk through this exhibition, each of the artworks will pose various questions, and let this main contemplation fill your mind: how do these female artists negotiate their place in art over time?
Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait, 1630
Oil on canvas, 74.6 × 65.1 cm (29 3/8 × 25 5/8 in.)
National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., United States
Self-portraits serve as a reflection of the artist’s skill and tastefulness: artists would try to use the most intricate techniques and place symbolism into the subject matter to elevate their status. In this artwork, we see Leyster in the middle of working on a painting, in a posture as if inviting the viewer into her studio and trying to talk to us. Her unique style of portraying people’s emotions in, often, joyous or contemplative moments, is evident now; however, her work had for centuries been attributed to male artists.
How has a male-dominated industry of art affected women’s expression of creativity?
Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1620
Oil on canvas, 146.5 x 108 cm
Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
According to the famous narrative in the Book of Judith, Judith kills Holofernes while he is drunk. The subject matter of this artwork is controversial to the traditional portrayal of women: they hold physical power over the man, and their gazes point directly at the male figure. Thus, Gentileschi casts Judith and her maid in what would usually be considered “masculine roles” for their brutality and defiance of passivity. In addition, Gentileschi demonstrates her own power as an artist as she paints a dark, violent, and gory picture.
What are the attributes we assign to power?
Maria Sibylla Merian, Plate 1 from Dissertation in Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam, 2nd edition, 1719
Hand-colored engraving on paper, 20 1/2 x 14 1/2 in.
National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., United States
This painting features a pineapple at the center of the artwork, with several insects on and around it. Merian was an entomologist who transformed the sciences of zoology and botany by drawing insects from observation rather than preserved specimens. Moreover, she published three volumes on European insects, including her own illustrations of insects and plants. Even though Merian’s subject matter fell within the limits set by expectations of what women artists could create, she still played a revolutionary role in the sciences through an extremely technical, accurate, and rational approach to her studies.
How does the lack of contribution of women to the sciences, due to limited access to education throughout history, affect our view of the world?
Lilly Martin Spencer, Domestic Happiness, 1849
Oil on canvas, Unframed: 55 1/4 × 45 3/4 inches (140.3 × 116.2 cm)
Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit, Michigan
In this painting, we can see a family of four in the bedroom, with parents leaning over the cradle, likely saying “good night” to their children before bedtime. Reflecting on this painting rapidly, which portrays a “perfect picture of the home,” we may mistakenly assume that it conforms to society’s norms. However, it pokes at the long-established patriarchal order of the family. Spencer’s own life story, being the breadwinner of her family, became influential in her art, as she painted figures modeled after her kids and husband. Moreover, by directing both the wife’s and the husband’s gaze toward the children, Spencer equalizes the parents in their role in a child’s life.
How do we imagine gender roles in family settings?
Emily Mary Osborn, Nameless and Friendless, 1857
Oil on canvas, support: 825 × 1038 mm frame: 1042 × 1258 × 75 mm
Tate Britain in London, United Kingdom
In her artwork, Osborn paints a merchant’s shop where a young lady stands with, likely, her younger brother, surrounded by men who notice her unusual presence in the store. Although this painting depicts many characters, it represents deep isolation. A young single woman is secluded in society not only because she does not have a husband and is not chaperoned by an adult, but also because her artwork is not accepted by the dealer on the right. Nineteenth-century society would not take a single woman seriously – for instance, among the elites, her worth would often be determined by her husband’s or her family’s estate. Osborn’s painting draws the audience’s attention to assumptions that seem ordinary.
How do our prejudices or presumptions inform our view of people?
Rosa Bonheur, The Horse Fair, 1852-55
Oil on canvas, 96 1/4 x 199 1/2 in. (244.5 x 506.7 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, United States
Bonheur specialized in painting pets and domesticated animals throughout her career. However, this particular work, depicting horses at a Parisian horse fair, sparked debates about sexuality and gender representation in the paintings’ content. On the one hand, a female artist painted a horse market, where men subjugate the animals, which would be considered masculine subject matter. On the other hand, horses were often a metaphor for women, as they were seen as disruptive and in need of male control, thus adding a layer of, or at least an allusion to, sensuality to this artwork.
How might our culture oversensualize certain subjects, and how do we know when we participate in it?
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