Renaissance Women

Although it is disputed if the Renaissance (or Rebirth, namely of Classical ideals and design) as we know it happened or not, one new occurrence that came out of that particular period of time was the focus on the female as an object of beauty. The society we live in now knows nothing of this transition since we live in a time when women are far too often objectified by the media, and even themselves. It seems absurd to think of a society where women are not objects of beauty; however, to have a female as an object of beauty in ancient Rome would have been absurd then. Sure, men married women, but they were only to bear them children. It was certainly not unheard of for men to engage in sexual behaviors with each other as a show of camaraderie or brotherhood. The male athletes physique was worshipped, envied. The Masculine was the most objectified and important where the Feminine was discarded.

Although there was a sort of, rebirth, of Classical ideals, the renaissance was not the same as ancient Grecian or Roman times. There was never as heavy a focus on male athleticism during the renaissance, but a focus on beauty. Beauty was seen through female depictions as virtue or heavenly beings. Although images of women are abundant, their meaning is regulated through eroticization or a Neo-Platonic interpretation. Various depictions of Eve and the Virgin Mary demonstrate the well known dichotomy of the shameful, lustful cause of the expulsion from Eden and the ideal, virginal mother of Jesus. Many theorize that Christianity is actually the major reason women appear in more sculptures and paintings during the renaissance; that artists used more women in their pieces as religious iconography because of the rise of Catholicism. This was, of course, pieces of work which were patronized: most religious artwork was contracted by the Church for cathedrals, basilicas, or even the Vatican. Multitudes of women had their portraits painted during this time as well.