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Strong Women in Renaissance Italy
The lives, works and imagery of women artists, patrons and icons in Renaissance Italy The story of the Renaissance in Italy is often told through the work of great male artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo. But what about the female half of the population? By exploring works made by, for, or about women, this book aims to reconsider a period of creative ingenuity and artistic excellence from their often-overlooked perspective.
Drawing on the rich collection of paintings, ceramics, textiles, illustrated books and prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this publication focuses on images of feminine power, both sacred and secular, telling the stories of saints such as Mary Magdalen as examples of strength and ascetic devotion, Biblical heroines such as Judith as civic and domestic role models, and the mythical sorceress Medea as the ideal of a heroic nude. Women also asserted their presence as artists, artisans and Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, Vittoria Colonna, Isabella d’Este and Eleonora Gonzaga are just some of the strong women who shaped the life and art of the Italian Renaissance.
Drawing on the rich collection of paintings, ceramics, textiles, illustrated books and prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this publication focuses on images of feminine power, both sacred and secular, telling the stories of saints such as Mary Magdalen as examples of strength and ascetic devotion, Biblical heroines such as Judith as civic and domestic role models, and the mythical sorceress Medea as the ideal of a heroic nude. Women also asserted their presence as artists, artisans and Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, Vittoria Colonna, Isabella d’Este and Eleonora Gonzaga are just some of the strong women who shaped the life and art of the Italian Renaissance.
- GenresRenaissanceArt
176 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2023
15 people want to read
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November 2, 2023
As part of my labyrinthine self-education on Renaissance Italy, I was thrilled to find that a visit to a friend in Boston coincided with the MFA's exhibit "Strong Women in Renaissance Italy." I was less thrilled with the exhibit itself.
There are a few works by formidable women, though most lack attribution because the women's identities have been lost to time. There were some works that were expertly crafted but, as copies of men's works, were less interesting to me. Other works weren't about "strong women in Renaissance Italy" at all, but rather about the period's changing representations of women: Cleopatra was no longer just Marc Antony's well-placed booty call. Saint Cecilia was brave and not to be dismissed.
So it was a fascinating exhibit, but mistitled, with no audio, and poorly organized for a venue like the MFA (especially in contrast to a ticketed Sargent exhibit the same day).
This book was created to accompany the exhibit, and takes the theme much further, with more numerous works, more depth in the stories, and beautiful illustrations & photos.
Almost a 5... but.... unfortunately, it maintains an underlying assumption that it was strong (albeit unremembered) women of the period that enabled men to represent women like Cleopatra with more character and depth. While that's no doubt true, it feels like a bit of kool-aid going down.
Thankfully, along with artists like Artemisa Gentileschi and Diana de Rosa, the Medici, d'Este, Gonzaga, Borgia, and other women shine on.
There are a few works by formidable women, though most lack attribution because the women's identities have been lost to time. There were some works that were expertly crafted but, as copies of men's works, were less interesting to me. Other works weren't about "strong women in Renaissance Italy" at all, but rather about the period's changing representations of women: Cleopatra was no longer just Marc Antony's well-placed booty call. Saint Cecilia was brave and not to be dismissed.
So it was a fascinating exhibit, but mistitled, with no audio, and poorly organized for a venue like the MFA (especially in contrast to a ticketed Sargent exhibit the same day).
This book was created to accompany the exhibit, and takes the theme much further, with more numerous works, more depth in the stories, and beautiful illustrations & photos.
Almost a 5... but.... unfortunately, it maintains an underlying assumption that it was strong (albeit unremembered) women of the period that enabled men to represent women like Cleopatra with more character and depth. While that's no doubt true, it feels like a bit of kool-aid going down.
Thankfully, along with artists like Artemisa Gentileschi and Diana de Rosa, the Medici, d'Este, Gonzaga, Borgia, and other women shine on.
Displaying 1 of 1 review