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Limitations and opportunities for women artists.
Women throughout history had hardships and obstacles to go through in order to become what they are now. In the early days during the Renaissance women were forced to stay in line and follow orders more and had less freedom to do things from their opposition, which was the men. Especially for women that were artists, they had to put in the effort and work to become a standout from others and get the respect they deserved to prove that they wanted to be equal just as the men. This research paper will go over what the women artists went through and why they did in order to become what they are now.



In “Milk White Angels of Art'' Samuel Isham in 1905 explained the characteristics of American art by saying it's similar to “wholesomeness.” The youth and female figures come from a variety of factors, including the 19th century American preoccupation with women's purity and rigorous standards of propriety, A desire that culture project a self-image consonant with those standards, and the demand that American art be more modest and refined than European art. “In general, the nude was favored, a fleshy nude on display for the male viewer, revealing, engaging, and sexually alluring.” Hook says that nudity was a favorite in art and gained a big male audience due to the fact that the men were attracted to the nudity and eye opening for them. This would be something that nude art would gain permanently in art which got people's attention to be curious about it and see the revealing artwork but there would also be an opposition. Nude art would be taken in specific settings to make them unique instead of a naked body just standing there such as in a bath, slave markets and harems. Threats were made towards certain women because men wanted certain desires in the art. French art was criticized due to this prurient interest in art in America. American artists didn't want to go this route overall because they think it would be a distraction and the wrong thing to do but the French artist thought otherwise due to the fact, they've been doing this for years and years with well-known artists in France. Also, women’s purity was a big movement that women try to show in the light.'' Women being compared to wild animals and being described as wild or crazy was something that happened when they were being critiqued. Misogyny in the 19th century was at a high to try and keep women below everyone and belittle them so they won't be able to stand up for themselves even for artists. “Female Nude on a Stallion” by Oskar Kokoschka was criticized heavily by trying to compare it to mythological meanings such as the nude women riding the horse which would be a direct result of a centaur which is a half man half horse. The Greeks made such assumptions about his art and saw it as excessive. “The Greeks, after all, used the negative example of the Amazon not just to symbolize rabid bestiality and uncontrolled behavior but also given the religious status of myth in antiquity to legitimize the inferior status of women in their sociopolitical order.” Which Oskar says, goes to show that the Greeks were somewhat misogynistic towards women with their own art and promoted questionable practices. For any ideology to be greatly placed, its very nature as ideology must be obscured by its adherents and presented, instead as a passive deference to some greater, universal principle. The Greeks stood well on this in their culture due to the fact that the political system was religious heavy. The status of women was being targeted to be tarnished by using mythological logic and why they are similar to those definitions of mythical animals and lore. “a systematic assault on "modern" writings on women that, in her view, portrayed women "as a kind of subordinate beings, and not as a part of the human species." If the Rights of Woman is a work of Enlightenment philosophy, in other words, it is one that highlights important tensions in Enlightenment thought, particularly in enlightened thinking on gender issues.” Women are trying to show society that they are also reliable and can do what men can do in the same light but are forced to try and make a difference for themselves and even as a group. All the writers who have written on the subject of female education and manners from Rousseau to Dr Gregory, have contributed to degrade one half of the human species, and render women pleasing at the expense of every solid virtue. Each gender is designed to accomplish various purposes. If women were designed to be home for a family man can also be that too. Which was popular for women to do during the 18th century, but women wanted a change and stated that they can do more than just stay home, but among professionals the sexual barriers were the weakest. The exploding market for popular literature turned women into scribblers and threatened men by eclipsing them in a certain amount of time to come. Women that are authors finally started to see some light shining on them and gaining the respected recognition. Many critics and politicians tried to make the women limited to do hobbies such as writing and painting, but the public had an interest in what the women can do, and they executed well. During the Victorian era drawing where watercolor painting was part of the standard education. Women art started to explode all over the region with artworks flooding in the stores and shops for people to purchase. It seems like the women had turned a new leaf for all women to become something that they all wanted to be and no more being a home wife. During the 18th century artwork for women became a stamp and large in the markets with dozens flocking to make their next purchase on some art from women artists. Even for female amateurs they were able to find themselves making and selling work if they could, but most thought it wasn't possible for an amateur to do such a thing or it would be too much for them to handle. “As the century progressed, however, many women began to take their artistic skill more seriously. Elizabeth Ellet, writing a history of women painters in 1859, insists that “The progress of female talent and skill has become more remarkable than ever within the last fifty years.” This is what the women have fought for and they got what they wanted. They took their work more seriously and got great feedback and profit back from it. The number of women that became engaged in pursuits of art exceeds that of the whole century at the time. We can see this transformation from amateurism to professionalism recorded almost unwillingly in the works of Sarah Stickney Ellis, the Victorian antifeminist moralist. While Ellis insists that women should not intrude on the professional male province of High Art, she nevertheless advocates a surprisingly rigorous brand of art as accomplishment. Ellis tried to guide all women artists to do the right things and all in the right way instead of hopping into the industry and not knowing much about it. She even offered courses on becoming an artist. It's safe to say that Ellis helped guide some women become educated on becoming an well organized artist and know the basics of being one. Women painters in the Renaissance were not as well known as the famous men painters but their artwork is as good as most of them. More and more of the women's artwork are being unveiled and recounted. “During the Italian Renaissance, art was a social necessity, particularly because a majority of the population was illiterate and relied on visual imagery for spiritual guidance.” This is very true due to the popularity of art during this era and very well known artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and many more. Their artwork is still talked about in present days. During the Renaissance if the plague broke out women were more likely to be affected by it and also there wasn't no modern technology around the time so women in labor complications was a big risk due to the fact most women was used to being married into a family and having as many kids they can which increased the chances of death for them. Around that time it was unheard of for a woman to have an occupation and be a housewife due to them having to be home all day no matter what and come outside only if necessary. One of the earliest-known female artists of the Renaissance was a nun known as Saint Catherine of Bologna and to this day Saint sits in a chapel in Bologna with her creations beside her. Women learned how to draw from their fathers and the men usually had their daughters work for them in their shops to get the hang of how things work. Several females began their careers this way also such as Lavinia Fontana, Barbara Longhi, Marietta Robusti (Tintoretto’s daughter), and Fede Galizia. Women came a long way from being nobody in art culture to being some of the most recognized and respected people when it comes to art. From authors to painters all of their works are here to stay and be revealed and appreciated from the public. From the Renaissance to the present-day women continue to make a difference in art culture.