1. WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE

2. 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

3. 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

4. WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE Perceptions of Women  Renaissance melded Christian & classical views  male = perfect, female = imperfect  represented opposites MALE FEMALE ACTIVE PASSIVE COMPLETE INCOMPLETE LIGHT DARKNESS RIGHT LEFT GOOD EVIL

5. WOMEN AND THE RENAISSANCE Women’s Lives in the Renaissance  Domestic education & responsibilities  Life goal = marriage & procreation  Sexuality strictly controlled  Limited legal rights

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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