Gender Roles in the Renaissance

Gender roles took a very big part with the depiction of women during the strong artistic values in the Renaissance. This included social run ins, what women did and were allowed to do, the women who participated in making art, art workshops and institutions, how nuns and religions were involved, the differences between men and women with public art, patronage and the female representation. Women have always been discriminated against in the art world and had very different rules than men. There were very restrictive forms of gender roles in society, which meant that people imposed limitations on activities people did or participated in. Art theory was gender norm, so it wasn’t frowned upon for women to invest their time in (Folliott, Sheila. "Art and Women in the Renaissance."). But with all of the discrimination against women, no matter what, artists were not accorded a special status in society (Bardsley, Sandy. "medieval women artists."). The term “artist” was a male-gendered concept. Men were also prescribed different paths in women with work and values (Folliott, Sheila. "Art and Women in the Renaissance."). That being said, men dominated crafts and trade (Bardsley, Sandy. "medieval women artists."). The emphasis on domesticity confined women across social spectrum to the household. Women were also envisioned primarily as wives regardless of their class and extolled modesty, silence and discretion as virtues (ROI). Most women took the roles as miniaturists, illuminators or embroiders (Bardsley, Sandy. "medieval women artists."). But since they were women, it affected them as makers and consumers of art (Folliott, Sheila. "Art and Women in the Renaissance."). Women established their own workshops and and there were even court cases in which women are mentioned as professional craftspeople with work contracts. At least 5/10 women were widows whose husbands once had run an art workshop. They were payed 2/3rds the paying rate of men. Women also