Inequality between genders in the Renaissance is no surprise however the women of the time, mostly upper class, were not completely stripped from their privileges. The power dynamic between men and women was very unbalanced and the scales held the men at a higher position. Due to men having a higher status than women, Renaissance women had much more benefits.
Essentially men served as a ruling voice over the different spheres of society. A woman’s movements in society were included under the control of men. Women did not have their own rights when it came to representing others. This means that women did not have their own legal action other than for themselves. Women did not even have a legal say in their identity after death. Men however had legal action in every sphere including over women. A woman could not even take in her own children after the male guardian has passed or witnessed illegal acts, for example, women cannot be present during the reading of a will. The dispersal of property in Renaissance Florence relied on the women’s child-birthing abilities and property rights. A female was basically a pawn trapped in the exchange of two families – her own family and her affinal family. (Kuehn)
Under Florentine law, the male guardian was the person to have ownership and possession for themselves and act as a foreseer for females. When a female function in society, the matter of her gender made a difference and the limitations of her character was always determined. It was here that the male guardian made a useful ambivalence for females. The men made women independent enough in society to act and possess property. An editor who wrote about gender inequality in Florence stated that ‘women were legally incapacitated not in their own right but only when it came to representing others. The sphere of a woman’s legal action scarcely extended beyond her own person.’ (Kuehn)
A female representative in society was a rarity. It existed in Florence since women, particularly widows, were effectively permitted to take a male position temporarily, without compromising feminine stature in different spheres. Because the male guardian is somewhat of a representative of a woman, this created the legal privilege to lead the woman easily through society. When preparing a woman for her marriage, the male guardian has to assemble a dowry or valuables to support the burdens of marriage.
From Florence’s most prestigious family, the Medici family, the female members have been disregarded in discourses of female authority on account of the common supposition that females living under republican governments had far fewer open doors for practicing political influence than their male compeers under kinship or lordship systems. Regardless of their limitations, the Medici women figured out how to accomplish political movement in the interest of the family through the networks the family made inside Florence. Even to the extent of Rome, or even further away, Medici’s had familial connections to Popes Leo X and Clement VII. This papal association “extended the circle of influence of the Medici women” past Florence and Rome (Adams).
During the later years of Cosimo, the Elder’s standard authority found its way to the Medici Palace and strayed away from the government palace. This power brought them more possibilities for female influence and possibly cultural change. The Medici women were able to practice power, and become patrons of the arts and mediators within their large networks.
Praising family ancestry through the art of portraiture became more popular, distinguished, and eccentric during the Renaissance in Florence. Noble families progressively utilized portraits of their precursors to praise their individual histories and to bond their status in the public arena. More themes and formats were explored due to the demand for ancestor portraiture in the elite Italian class and “the portrait – an elaborate pictorial fiction – is a work whose historical context and patronage illuminate the history..the family”(Waldman). The celebrated artistic accomplishments of the early Renaissance were starting to be used as social capital by the prevailing families of the late Renaissance. Following the popularity of portraiture, many renaissance patrons commissioned artists to paint self-portraits.
In my very own self-portrait, I am depicted as a young idealized Renaissance woman. I am adorned with expensive clothing, and jewels and hold an expression of reservation. The background of my self-portrait is a simple wall of greenery. This background of flora accentuates the message of the abundance of nature and its beauty. This complements the idea of springtime which is known for child birthing and youth. Florentine portraits of women are usually associated with the event of marriage. This portraiture can be assumed to be a step towards a possible betrothal to a wealthy suitor. The lavish jewelry and clothing are indicative of the theme of betrothal. As well as a promising sign of a generous dowry. The pearl necklace, the ring on my left hand, and the blooming gold flowers on my headpiece symbolize the purity and maturity of marriage. The velvet dress I am wearing is an expensive and rare fabric to obtain during this time. The red jewel tone greatly contrasts with the fairness of my skin and the cut of the neckline shows the awareness of what was in fashion during the period. My profile is slightly turned towards the viewer in order to display the details of the velvet dress and the jeweled necklace. The side profile style continued the prestige of what was deemed for the elite in ancient Rome. The side profile style was seen in Imperial coins used in Rome. This element of antiquity further proves that many elite Florentines were looking for new methods of flaunting their wealth and status.
My strict expression and straight gaze demonstrate my well-mannered obedience and seriousness s a woman from the Renaissance should convey. My body language conveys a closed demeanor. My hand over my chest caressing the pearl necklace compresses the composition and further expresses the expected subordinate persona. According to the editor of one of the essays on art on women “the smooth fair skin, broad forehead, tight lips and straight posture all contribute to the idealistic conventions of female beauty in this period” (Valiela). Yet my realistic beauty is still present in this self-portrait from the shape of my eyes and the contour of my face.
The subsequent portrait was usually rendered as a ‘true likeness’ or una vera effigies. Sitters constantly offered guidelines to be ritratto al naturale, depicted as though from nature or life. The “true likeness” portraits were wanted by the majority of the Italian sitters when introduced under a favorable appearance.
Between the understanding that sitters clarified their needs, the classical methods from antiquity, and the practice itself; a problem starts to occur. “The sitters’ exaltation of naturalism implied that all the artist had to do to achieve success was to hold up a mirror to create nature, natural naturata, and produce a one-to-one pictorial offset of the person before him” (Woods). Be that as it may, the sitters’ distrust in the “natural naturans”, making of nature, had, in reality, required them to use authority over the portrait due to it affecting their features.
Female portraiture as well as traditional female court patronage, “served to collapse any distinctions of achievements or access to power between women in the court, and thus distinctions of rank came to be determined primarily by their relations to men.” (San Juan) Physical romanticization is utilized to demonstrate both the reserved court partner and an unspecified image where beauty is prevalent. However both modesty and personality are eliminated, what must be considered is the means by which glorification infringes on females of explicit social status. Men were even esteemed for their capacity to characterize an item or be as wonderful. During this time of extraordinary inventive achievements, men however truly took to noticeable excellence. They entrenched beauty as a significant element of life and men had the ability to determine what was beautiful and what was not beautiful.