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Period: 500 to 1500
The Middle Ages
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1152
Scivias
Hildegard of Bingen was a Benedictine nun, and in 1136 she was elected abbess. She had a reputation as a prophetic voice within the church, and her contributions made up much of the scientific and religious intelligence of her time.
The Scivias is a novel collection of Hildegard's theology. As a compilation of her own insights , the art was likely produced under her supervision. This image of Hildegard is a striking example of the distinct colors and lines that signify the Scivias' art. -
1171
Hortus Deliciarum
In 1167, Herrad of Landsberg was elected Abbess of Hohenberg. She is best known for her work compiling Hortus Deliciarum, an anthology of texts from numerous authors–including Herrad herself. Her work exemplifies Christianity’s early interest in the cosmological, ethical, and eschatological aspects of the world.
The style of art reflects both Byzantine and Gothic influences. Miniatures from Hortus Deliciarum, demonstrate close attention to the characteristics and identities of the subjects. -
Period: 1550 to
The Renaissance
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1561
Self Portrait
As the first well-known female artist of the Renaissance, Sofonisba Anguissola opened the door for women to paint professionally. Her social status kept her from selling her work, but it was nevertheless highly circulated. In Self Portrait, she paints herself as modest woman of refinement and culture, demonstrating the social ideals of a Renaissance gentlewoman. The work exemplifies both Italian and Spanish styles through its dark background, posing, and focus on the subject’s face and hands. -
Consecration to the Virgin
Lavinia Fontana was one of a few female Renaissance artists to achieve international acclaim. While not of noble birth, her work places her and her family among the educated elite of Bologna. Her art emulates the tendencies of her teacher, Prospera Fontana, who combined Counter-Reformation pietism, Flemish attention to detail, and northern Italian naturalism. Consecration to the Virgin reflects the religious ideologies of her time, and a strong adherence to naturalist art principles. -
Period: to
The 17th Century
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Still Life with a Sparrow Hawk, Fowl, Porcelain and Shells
Clara Peeters, born in 1594, was a Dutch painter best known for her pioneering still-life and floral pieces. By 1611, her work demonstrated meticulous attention to detail such as reflections of windows and faces, as well as stylized symmetry. Her still-life pieces that depicted hunting and game were likely painted for aristocratic and wealthy collectors. Peeters' work is widely regarded as a driving influence behind the advancement of still-life artwork later in the 17th century. -
The Proposition
Judith Leyster was a skilled watercolorist who is best known today for her domestic genre scenes. The Proposition demonstrates the complex relationship between sexuality and domestic virtue. By painting a woman rejecting a man’s sexual proposition, Leyster contradicts the era’s common narrative that prostitution existed to tempt otherwise virtuous men. Leyster’s art was ahead of its time, as other artists would not explore these themes until decades later. -
Period: to
The 18th Century
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Portrait of Gabrielle-Emilie Le Tonnelier de Breuteuil , Marquise du Châtelet
Marie Loir was an 18th century Parisian artist. Born to an artistic family, Loir was elected to the Académie of Marseilles in 1762. Despite the restriction of 18th century women to positions of great influence, educated women became increasingly involved in Parisian salons. Loir painted a portrait of one of these women, the Marquise du Châtelet. She holds a divider in one hand, and a carnation in the other. These details empower her intellect while maintaing her womanly grace and beauty. -
Portrait of Marie Antoinette with Her Children
Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun was a French painter in a society that restricted women's contributions to public activity. However, Vigée-Lebrun’s understanding of the middle class made her more successful as society shifted away from aristocratic culture. This perspective became relevant to the humanization of the aristocracy, as demonstrated in Portrait of Marie Antoinette with Her Children. The normalization of the female figure and motherhood are lasting themes in her work. -
Period: to
The 19th Century
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Woman at Her Toilette
Berthe Morisot was born in 1841 to a wealthy family, and she displayed a gift for drawing at an early age. She is considered one of the originators of the Impressionist movement, alongside Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, and others. Her position as an upper-class woman inhibited her ability to pursue subjects beyond the domestic realm. However, Morisot’s illumination of the domesticity of the bourgeois is a theme that has since come to define Impressionism as a whole. -
Rare Vase with Flying Cranes
Mary Louise McLaughlin was born in 1847 in Cincinnati. She is best known for her experimental underglaze slip decorations on Haivlance faience work that became the standard for US pottery decoration for the next quarter century. Pottery afforded many American women the opportunity to pursue professionalism within an artistic field. McLaughlin’s work signifies the emergence of middle-class women as domestic and social reformers, and contributors to the American Arts and Crafts movement. -
Period: to
20th Century (Europe)
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The Tub
Vanessa Bell was an English artist noted for her painting, textile designs, and contributions to the Bloomsbury Group. In the beginning of her career, her work was influenced by the traditional style of the New English Art Club. After 1910, she became more influenced by Post-Impressionist exhibitions, and employed brighter colors and designs. The Tub shows her embrace of the avant-garde style of modern art and her radical depiction of domestic femininity in 20th century Europe. -
Ses Peintures, ses Objets, ses Tissus simultanés, ses Modes
Sonia Delaunay was a Ukrainian-born artist who studied art in Germany before moving to and spending the rest of her life in Paris. She used Cubism and Fauvism palettes to synthesize Post-Impressionism, early Matisse, and Russian folk art. The translation of her art into textiles challenged the distinction between art and craft in a period of history plagued by the rumbling World War. Delaunay's work signifies the emergence of the female consumer and societal contributor.