Women in the Renaissance

The Renaissance is a term used to describe the developments of European societies from the 14th to the 17th century. The word Renaissance denotes a rebirth of culture, which in this case means a return to the artistic and philosophical styles of the Greeks and Romans. It took place in a continent that was living in the Middle (or ‘dark’) Ages, characterized by gothic art, Catholicism, feudalism and a lack of education.
The era has positive connotations, but in this essay I will consider whether this period improved the lot of women, by considering if women were free to fulfill the culture’s ideal of a good life.

The Renaissance movement prized a Humanist curriculum - ‘grammar, rhetoric, moral philosophy, poetry and history’. Greco-Roman studies were ongoing through the middle ages but the Renaissance was a shift to considering their philosophies, discourses and artwork, rather than their scientific method. The assimilation of Classical theology led to reconsideration of the man-god relationship, which accompanied the protestant reformation.
Intellectual attainment was replacing righteousness and salvation, and more than one church body was represented in Europe. This dispersal of power lessened the control of religion as a whole – a scientist might be as venerated as a bishop. This new freedom paved the way for syncretism of Greco-roman and pagan reliefs in Christian beliefs, as well as the Neo-Platonist attitude seen in art.
Creative works show the return of contrapposto and natural, emotional depictions of the face and body. They feature everyday life, mythical creatures and gods; in contrast to the flattened, cartoonish, didactic and overtly religious images of middle ages art.

For people in the Renaissance, the humanist curriculum and a love of knowledge meant that the ideal life was one which incorporated studying in many fields. The term Renaissance Men has come to mean polymathics – people with many gifts, who excel in multiple fields. A human should be musically and artistically talented, speak Greek and Latin as well as their mother tongue, and be scientifically minded. Athleticism was also prized, and thought to be part of a well rounded life. Whilst being intelligent and talented, a gentleman was supposed to behave with ‘Sprezzatura’, a humility and detachment from his gifts.
The classic example of a Renaissance man is Leonardo da Vinci for excellence in scientific invention, bio-medical understanding and artistic skill.

Women in the Renaissance were not thought to be a match for the rigours of study, presumed lacking in the type of intelligence needed for higher learning, and without the male capacity for rational thought. This ideology has not been an uncommon one throughout history, and was at this point tangled up with Christian doctrine – the patriarchy and female inferiority was supported by St. Paul’s teaching on marriage and church order.
Women were not educated, and as such, if they worked it was manual labour. However for the most part, women lived at home from the resources of their parents until they married and then become the fiscal responsibility of their husband. A woman ought to possess chastity, modesty, humility, piety, patience, and kindness. The implication of these values was condemnation of women who became famous for skill or intelligence, or who took on political power.

It is unsurprising then that there are no famed Renaissance women. However, in recent years some have claimed Catherine de Medici and Isabella d’Este – either as an example of women succeeding despite the odds, or to suggest that the Renaissance was not as gender-biased as it appears.

As queen consort of King Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici’s patronage of the arts and political power make her an influential figure in this period. She is credited with creation of the ballet through her organization of court productions. In addition she commissioned portraits from artists of the time and took an active role in planning architecture. After the death of her husband, her young sons became the monarchs and she was responsible for deciding whether to negotiate with or persecute the protestant reformers. De Medici disobeyed the gender code in many ways, showing determination and intelligence but doesn’t fit the specifics of a Renaissance man, as she was not personally talented with regard to the arts, literature, or science.

On the other hand, Isabella D’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, does show proficiency and interest in the ways becoming to a Renaissance man. Educated from birth by a liberal father, the Duke of Ferrera, she became masterful in many languages, of which her favorite was Greek. She also collected Roman sculpture. She was a talented musician and wrote insightful letters on religion and politics to prominent figures. Her success in education cannot be attributed to an otherwise empty life, as she was made regent by the state, commanded the city's armies, and negotiated peace treaties, along with giving birth to nine children. She chose to study architecture, industry and agriculture to improve the lives of her populace.

Whilst these examples show that in a minority of cases women could access education and interact with the arts, we must remember that these examples are drawn from the highest spheres of aristocracy and wealth. Because of this, many things would be allowed to them that would be impossible for other women. Their success and freedoms are not a sound indicator of the freedom of their gender.
It is evident that for the most part the Renaissance continued the gender-biased legacy of the Middle Ages and as such hindered females from achieving what the Renaissance Men did. However, as the case of Medici shows, not every person with access to education and art will become as devoted to them as da Vinci and his kind were.