Emma Rose Barber, 10 June 2004 1. Early 14th C - females endured controlled life-style - girls
normally married by 15, and were constantly 'tested' for their behavior/comportment.
READ Boccaccio's 'tale of Griselda' for background. Also: will check with Emma Rose,
as to how accurate is history-based fiction BIRTH OF VENUS I'm now reading o Women from wealthy and successful
families had power in convents - brought dowry which
gave them 'push'; many active in community activities - nursing, etc.
Served as models for
exemplary way of life. o Art of Lorenzetti's = expressive
angels and real portraits. In Ghirlandaio's SMN frescoes, domestic
motifs strongly stressed, yet only incidental to 'story.' o By 15thC, women were writing poetry
and humanist dialogs, many of them published.
Those from rich families of great position, or rich-widowed, could afford to commission
artists (donatrix). o Drving force: Obedience
to God, and to man! When included in painting as donatrix -
modest, mostly black, attire and unassuming attitude. 2. 14thC homes had 'holy corner' in bedroom where
girls/women kept their religious and personal articles; often cassones that
held variety of 'things.' Painted scenes on cassone usually related to
marriage/married life; sometimes cassone was gift from male, in appreciation for dowry
from bride's family. Palazzo Davanzati presents 'real' picture of home life at the
time, and illustrates prescribed role for girls/women. 3. 15thC - huge market for religious items, images, crucifixes,
rosaries - these demands "made' the della Robbia's. Women's chambers
became highly decorated; cassones and lettucios (daybeds) were decorative as well as
functional. 4. Prescribed role for 15C woman: emphasis on meekness,
modesty, 'keep everything' covered and eyes lowered; assume/project demure
and reticent manner o Chastity encouraged above all - avoid
all 'exposure' by staying away from window openings, avoiding feasts,
streets, public encounters, confrontations. o Women's portraits of the period
usually profile; occasional turn toward viewer, but direct eye-contact
normally avoided, more modest composure/attire emphasized; self-effacing.
EXCEPTION: Lippo Lippi's paintings of Lucretia Buti as Madonna; she's deliberately
presented as lovely young woman in simple but elegant finery. The 2 met, she a nun
and he a monk, in Prato at Feast of the Girdle (familiar?) and began scandalous
affair for which they might have faced terrible fates, but for help of Cosimo/Elder, who
appreciated genius of Lippo. o Sumptuary Laws in Florence decreed modesty
in dress and behavior for women but ladies did not always
comply. At the time, notion was that women were easy targets for idolatry: They
were advised to kneel before crucifix rather than focus on the young
male-saint images they seemed to prefer. 5. Convents in 15C o There were thousands of nuns in Florence,
more than monks. Ans 10% or more commissions for Art came from
women. Santa Felicita Benedictine nunnery
- cloistered life for wealthy
women who commissioned mss's elaborately illustrating martyrdom of sons of Santa
Felicita. (Church of Santa Felicita built over antique Roman church, and contains
chapel whose walls are decorated with Pontormo's ANNUNCIATION and LAMENTATION.) o Nuns served as models for prayer and the
prayerful life; felt prayer was essential as deliverer from Black Death and
for after-life (Last Judgment). Penitence was the road toto a place in
Heaven. Thus, these nuns came to be considered good 'mediators.' 6. Women of Power, their Orders, & their
Recognition (became ideal for all women) o Catherine of Siena became a
Dominican, renouncing wealth/position of family and embracing active
concer in 'community.' Went to Avignon to convince Pope to return to Rome, which
he did, assuring her 'place.' Mystic marriage with Jesus. Hers was a sainted
life - received stigmata, and enjoyed great recognition. o Catherine of Alexandria, another strong
persona. Like the Sienese Catherine, of impressive intellect
and very assertive. But this Catherine was indeed martyred. o St. Clare also of good family - renounced
weaalth/position to embrace the Christian way of life
exemplified by close friend St. Francis of Assisi. Although bedridden last 20 years
of life, she continued to run her convent effectively. Was canonized within
two years of her death. o Saint Umilita ('Blessed Humility'), born
Roseanasa of noble family in 1226, married and bore 2 sons both of
whom died after baptism. Wife/mother/nun
- in 1250 she and husband took vows of chastity: she became nun (known as
Umilita), he a monk in double monastery of St. Perpetua.
- illiterate until, in fun, the sisters asked her to read; she spoke words of 'the
highest things' and so was taught to read/write in Latin.
- overtaken with cancer, her flesh began to rot. Umilita had vision aadvising her
to travel - so she went to island of St. Martin where, received by Sister
Phillippa, Umilita was set up in sealed room, living on bread/water/herbs.
- Cancer arrested, she began healing, sometimes miraculously as with Vallumbrusian
monk she saved, by crossing herself, from having his
feet amputated.
- Vallombrosans built her a windowed cell from which she gave counsel for 28
years. In 1266, she was named Abbess of 1st Vallombrosan convent that which
was sacked 0in 1281.
- Fled to Florence with the aim 'to end feud between Guelphs/Ghibelline's. Began convent
dedicated to John/Evangelist, where she revived a dead child;
convent, designed by Nicola Pisano, was founded in 1282.
- In 1300, at age of 74, she was overcome by high fever and lost
mobility.
Wished to die on a Friday and did, on 22 May 1310. Bishop presided at her funeral.
- 1313-1348, the Lorenzetti's did scenes illustrating her life, and Orcagna did
statue of her, now in church of San Michele at San Salvi. |