In this week's reading, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, by Linda Nochlin many issues of inequality were addressed. Due to the fact it was written in 1971, it only discussed the injustices to white women concerning art history and sex. This writing was revolutionary for the feminist movement in the 70s. The points made by Nochlin also opened the door for further discussion about the inequality to minorities, minority women, and nonheterosexuals. Nochlin made several points of discussion that stuck out to me personally compared to the rest. In her writing, the methods for keeping women from studying and the way women were controlled by society were beautifully described by Nochlin concerning art history.
First off, Nochlin makes a point to address the lack of women represented in art history. Of the list of 26 women on page 4, I only knew 2 artists. She then shares the viewpoint of white males as to why there are no great women artists, “from "scientifically" proven demonstrations of the inability of human beings with wombs rather than penises to create anything significant.” Nochlin then explains how previous feminist art historians describe women artists as simply more feminine than male artists throughout history. She greatly disputes this point by explaining the art of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes whose work would most definitely not be considered traditionally feminine.
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| Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes |
In the text, the writer briefly describes the painting by stating, “This version dates ca.1615-20, shortly after the scandal of her alleged promiscuous relations with her teacher.” However, there were no “promiscuous relations” with her teacher, she was attacked. The artist Artemisia Gentileschi was raped by her teacher and it is believed that she painted herself as the model for Judith since Judith is a well-known symbol of pure rage. Not to mention, this painting especially hit home for Artemisia Gentileschi since the man who was beheaded, invaded her home city of Bethulia. This powerful artwork goes to show that women artists are more than traditionally feminine styles.
The next point I think the author described eloquently was the control placed upon women to deter them from an art career. This included manipulation and segregation. Women were taught from a young age that their worth came from how well they managed a household. If a woman were to pursue expertise in art, she would be neglecting her womanly duties and therefore lose her worth. Women were also separated from men in true art courses. Men were allowed to study the nude figure of both men and women. However, women were not allowed to study the nude figure of anyone. Oftentimes, a live cow was brought in for women to study. Holding back such a resource for women while nude figures were of immense importance to that art style, was a sure way to oppress the art of women. This showed me how men thought of women as objects for them to use, but not as people to develop their skills and ideas.
Overall, I enjoyed this reading very much. It opened my eyes to the true inequalities for women throughout Western society.
Sources:
White, Katie. "Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Judith Beheading Holofernes' Is a Touchstone of Feminist Art History. Here Are 3 Things You Might Not Know About the Gory Masterpiece." Artnet News. October 15, 2020. Accessed September 23, 2021. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artemisia-gentileschi-judith-beheading-holofernes-1897872.
Nochlin, Linda. "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" Women, Art, and Power and Other Essays, 1971, 145-78. doi:10.4324/9780429502996-7.
India! I think it is wonderful you included how revolutionizing this writing was for the feminist movement. You did a wonderful job summarizing Nochlin's writing. The artwork you chose specifically highlights a point Nochlin makes in the writing that women go through different experiences, situations and hold different social roles than men do. From the information you included about your artwork would you agree that this work of art is the product of women's different experiences in society?
ReplyDeleteCayton, thank you for your comment! I also thought about the question you asked me. I think the artwork I included is a great piece that depicts how different women experience society than men. The artist of that piece was raped, men are also raped, however it is more common for women. This societal fear is something we all try and avoid and have to actively watch out for. I think this is one of the many things women have to worry about compared to men and it shows through this artwork.
DeleteI love this artwork you chose, to me it represents how art had changed over time. i notice that sometimes this painting is blurred out due to its "violent" nature, but when a woman is being sexualized there is no cover up for that? it is a form of inequality, and one of the minor ones that goes regularly unnoticed
ReplyDeleteMakayla, I like the point you made about how images like these are blurred while a woman's naked body isn't. It does speak to how women are more objectified than men in art. However, I wouldn't want a women's body to be censored. It seems that when women are censored, they become more sexualized, kind of like the freethenipple movement. Women's nipples seem to be more sexualized because they are hidden. You made some great points!
DeleteIndia,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy reading your blogs because I come away understanding even more about the weeks readings from your explanations. Artemisia Gentileschi is such a great example of how sex does not determine the style of someone's art. Gentileschi used her art in a way that expressed her inner rage as well as her talent. She was fortunate enough that she was able to learn to paint. She is an example of what may have been possible for women had they been offered more opportunities. Do you think that the art world has made much progress in this category?
Cayla, thank you for your comment! I'm glad you enjoy my blog post, I enjoy analyzing the readings we have. As for your question, I do believe the art world has made some progress. Art education is more widely available to women. However, as we talked about in class, there still isn't enough representation of women or minorities in art museums. I'm hoping that will change. Great question!
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