Feminine Influence in Dutch Baroque and Italian Renaissance Art
Art history, as the modern world knows it, would be virtually nonexistent without the work of women. While Female artists have been involved in making art throughout time, their work often is not as well recognized, praised, or acknowledged as that of men. Being a female artists in Europe between the 15th and 17th centuries (and arguably today) was unsurprisingly, very difficult. in fact, Italian male artists during this era were referred to as “virtuosos” which translates to mortal god, whilst women were widely overlooked and given few opportunities (Hessel). What is so admirable about the female-creators of this time is that despite the lack of support, success, and fans, they pressed on and they were able to paint and creatively express themselves without a fear of judgement. While Dutch Baroque artists like Rachel Ruysch often depicted intensely detailed still-life artwork, Italian Renaissance painters such as Sofonsiba Anguissola focused on sophisticated portraiture. These female artists pushed the boundaries of their time period, simply through their unique perspective and a paintbrush.
The reason these two women are so comparable, despite their widely different artistic style, is that they are some of the only women in history who were actually given credit and acknowledged for their works despite their gender. However, their backgrounds did largely influence this. Ruysch grew up under the guidance of two very important Dutch men; her maternal grandfather Pieter Post, a quite successful architect, and her father Frederick Ruysch, an eminent scientist and botanist during that time. Due to this, Rachel learned how to observe and record the intricate details of the natural world around her (National Museum of Women in the Arts). She became a member of the painter’s guild in the Hague alongside her husband in 1702, according to our class discussion, as well. On the other hand, Angussola was born in Cremona in northern Italy to a wealthy Renaissance family, and was known to have traveled around Italy—even earning praise from Michelangelo for two of her sketches —before arriving at the Spanish Court, where she painted portraits of King Philip II and his family. Therefore, both of these women had credibility, reputation, and social influence on their side.
First, the most famous works from these artists must be examined in order to understand their style. Fruit and Insects by Ruysch is packed with so much detail that it would be nearly impossible to completely unpack on paper. In the center of a dimply lit room sits a basket (presumably upon a table) overflowing with fruit, vines and leaves, while insects, lizards, and snails surround the produce. There are peaches, grapes, melons, figs, corn, and wheat in plenty. This is not a natural scene, but rather a deep scientific study of the natural world represented through creativity. For example, a fly is resting on a perfectly ripe peach. There is no opening on the fruit (it is undamaged) therefore it is almost useless to the fly. But it is still there, with its lightly shaded wings and small black body. It is not there to depict a real life occurence, but rather showcase Ruysch’s uncanny ability for hyper realistic still-life paintings. The wheat and grapes are symbolic in the Dutch Golden Age, as the Dutch people were Protestant and stayed away from paintings of Catholic-style Christian art. Their faith was not lavish, so artists during this time represented in within every day life. The wheat and grapes are representative of communion. Based on this painting alone, it is evident that Ruysch was a detail-oriented, symbolic, religious Protestant woman. Now, Sofonisba Anguissola was of noble origin, so she was limited to the artistic portraiture, since she could not study the anatomy of naked subjects. In Self-Portrait at the Easel Painting a Devotional, Anguissola depict herself painting an intimate mother-child scene, while she is dressed simply with no trace of make up, jewelry, or the elegance that people of noble status were so often portrayed with. According to Khan Academy; “In her self-portraits, a genre in demand during the period, Anguissola pictures her wide-eyed likeness in austere braided hairstyle, no jewelry, and dignified black dress. Unlike the frivolous curls, gold baubles, ornate laces, and brocades fashionable among her female peers, this representation stresses a serious side to her personality as well as high self-esteem, decorum, nobility, and maturity”. Additionally, the subject of the painting she is working on within this piece is actually the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, as we learned in class. She is comparable to Ruysch in this aspect, as there are religious aspects in both paintings. But, it could be possible that Anguissola included this reference simply to make her portrait more acceptable during this time. Another similarity between these two paintings is the use of chiaroscuro, in which the figures are shown barely emerging from darkness. There is stark contrast between the subject in light and the surrounding darkness. In Anguisolla’s painting, the light is strongest on her own face, the baby Jesus and the paint… the most important parts of the paintings. While Ruysch is not traditionally known for her use of chiaroscuro, one could argue that it is very prevalent. The light emphasizes the structure of the fruit, creates shadows, and highlights the life surrounding the basket, yet the rest of the room is dark, as if there is a single spotlight above the table.
Now, keeping these key characteristics in mind (Ruysch is hyper-realistic while modest portraiture is Anguissola’s style, and both have religious-aspects and dramatic lighting within them), one can analyze almost any painting by these famous artists and focus on really unpacking the content for more hidden meanings below the surface. Another famous painting by Ruysch is Flowers in a Vase, in which poppies, marigolds, a single tulip, hollycocks, roses, carnations, morning glories and snapdragons spill out of an overflowing cressy-looking vase. Again, there is very dramatic lighting here, with the brightest light drawing the viewer’s attention to the center of the painting, near the fully bloomed and vibrant white tulip with blood-red petal tips. Brightly colored flowers surround the tulip, and near the edge of the bouquet are the smaller, dark, possibly wilted flowers. The vase and background of the art do not interfere with the vibrancy of the flowers. Ruysch is showcasing her scientific knowledge here as well, as her full bouquet features a lush variety of different flowers, such as popular species form the Europe area, and rare species from overseas. Again, this is not an everyday painting, similarly to Fruit With Insects. Arguably, Anguissola’s paintings are not common scenes either. In Self-Portrait at the Easel Painting a Devotional, Anguissola is looking straight at the viewer and almost posing. IF this were an every day scene, she would be deeply concentrating on her creation of the biblical devotional. Anyhow, some scholars believe Flowers in a Vase should be interpreted as a vanitas; which was a moral message common at the time. “Taken from a passage in the Christian bible, it was a reminder that beauty fades and all living things must die. While still life paintings celebrated the beauty and luxury of fine food or voluptuous flowers, vanitas was a warning about the fleeting nature of these material things and the shortness of life” (Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker). From the earlier analyzation of Ruysch’s paintings, it is known that she was Dutch Protestant, and did not directly picture religious figures in her artwork. In this painting, there are wilted and drooping flowers, and some leaves have holes (possibly from insects) in them. The Dutch consumers and viewers were being reminded of the quickness of this world. Worldly pleasures are temporary, and devotion to God was the only way to remain a “blooming tulip” as Ruysch depicted. She was painting an elegant, beautiful and luxurious scene, but still was able to incorporate an underlying message as well.
With that being said, Sofonisba Aguissola became increasingly talented at creating normal paintings and layering them with hidden meanings.In the late 1550s, Aguissola painted an intriguing self-portrait of her teacher Bernardino Campi painting her. She is painted in more elegant clothing with intricate beading (which is different than her usual), but her detached expression and chiaroscuro are still present, as the only figures well-lit are Sofonisba’s face and left hand, and Campi’s face and right hand. At a first glance, she appears as a submissive subject in this painting, as Campi does technically have control. This fits in with the elegance and sophistication of renaissance paintings, because the most that women were involved in art at this time was to be the figure painted for the eyes of the viewer. But, after giving the painting thought, it seems as if Sofonisba is more prominent, important, and meaningful in society. After all, Campi is painting her, implying that she has surpassed her teacher, as mentioned in lecture. He is seen using a mahlstick and painting the intricate beading of her dress, which was work of an apprentice at the time. She is showcasing her talent by painting two portraits at the same time, while Campi is seen only painting one; hers. Because of this painting, Aguissola was able to maintain her classy reputation, and defy the standards of Italian Renaissance art and societal gender roles.
Ultimately, the work created by these women is not comparable. They have two completely different styles, backgrounds and mindsets. Ruysch is scientific, naturalistic, and realistic. Aguissola’s style is classic of the Renaissance, yet there are underlying tones of Mannerism, rebellion, and defying societal norms. Their art served as an amazing platform for future female artists. Because of their wealthy families, both Ruysch and Aguissola were able to launch their artwork and be respected as artists during their time period. While there are many differences between the two artists, both women used religious references, dramatic lighting, and underlying messages to express themselves. They taught the world around them that women were just as able to create and paint as their male peers, and because of this, female artists in today’s world are able to have successful, acknowledged careers that celebrate femininity and the rawness of life.