WGS.3082 Women Artists of the Renaissance and Baroque: 1450-1700
This 4-credit seminar aims to explore the careers of women artists in Early Modern Europe. The course begins with a discussion about the validity of studying artists by gender, and an in-depth examination of modern feminist art-historical literature both encouraging and discouraging the practice. We then consider the lives of women in late 15th-mid-17th century Italy, asking whether and how women participated in the Renaissance movement. By reading primary texts, mostly written by men, students will also will learn to interpret between fact and fiction in the historical record. The bulk of the course is devoted to studying the biographies and works of female artists active during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, from the more well-known Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, Artemesia Gentileschi, and Judith Leyster, among others. We will focus on their career strategies, training, and the different ways in which these extraordinary women managed to overcome the social, moral, religious and professional restrictions particular to their gender. We will also situate their artistic output within the larger context of artistic achievement in the period. There will be a midterm (details TBA), research paper, oral presentation, and required field trips (details TBA).
LA
Prerequisite
Prerequisite: Completion of one Art History course or permission of instructor.