Picturing Women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy

by Sara F. Matthews Grieco (Editor), Geraldine A. Johnson (Editor)

This volume considers pictured and picturing women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy as the subjects, creators, patrons, and viewers of art. Women's experiences and needs (perceived by women themselves or defined by men on their behalf) are seen as important determinants in the production and consumption of visual culture. By using a variety of approaches the contributors demonstrate the importance of adopting an interdisciplinary approach when studying women in Italy from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries.

Genres: Renaissance

321 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 1997

Reviews

[Nadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, a great help to my dissertation research. Women deserve more recognition and this book aids in it.

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Picturing Women in Renaissance and Baroque Italy' is exactly what I hoped it would be. This book is a composition of 9 essays and divided into 3 sub-categories.

Part One: Envisioning Women's Lives was my favourite. I found the writing styles easy to read, the content was extremely interesting and required no prior knowledge of the Renaissance. To me, it read more like a fiction book, which makes learning a lot easier!

Part Two: Creative Careers: Women as Artists and Patrons, was also excellent. I loved that there was a heavy focus on women who were essentially forgotten or rarely acknowledged throughout history. I found the story of Lavinia Fontana to be especially interesting.

My least favourite was Part Three: Female Bodies in the Language of Art. I found the essays to be a little denser, and drier. I think if I had prior knowledge I would have enjoyed it more. Or maybe I'm just less interested in the subjects?

Overall, I definitely recommend reading this book if you have an interest in non-fiction, history, or women throughout history.