The Etruscan society allegedly migrated from Tuscany or Lydia. (Klien, 166) Much of what scholars know regarding Etruscan society is based on funerary artwork. The Etruscans did not keep any written records of their activity. What we know about Etruscan lifestyle is based on their artwork left behind. Early on Etruscan society had a lot of contact with the Greeks that reflect in much of the Etruscan works of art. The distinction in Etruscan art and Greek art is clearly seen through the Etruscan representation of couples in art. The pieces in this collection will attempt to show how women in Etruscan society enjoyed a liberal lifestyle in contrast to Greek and Roman counterparts. Etruscan women were adorned with lavish jewels, had a public life and accompanied their husbands at banquets. Etruscan women were affectionate mothers, and passionate lovers.
This emphasis is notably unique from the portrayal of couples among contemporary societies such as the Greeks and Romans. This depiction of couples reflects the essential role woman clearly held in Etruscan society. “Women in Etruria participated more fully in the public life of than Greek and Roman women. They had their own names, and passed rank on to their children (Bonfante xx-xx).” Etruscan women enjoyed the same equalities as men such as hereditary possession and having their own identity not solely confined to traditional roles of women in surrounding areas. Etruscan women could afford to provide financially for any children born to them, due to the Etruscan cultural setup. The independence that Etruscan women relished did not take away their nurturing nature as many other societies including the Romans believed.
Women enjoyed a dignity comparable to that of their mal...
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...a right to the possession of her own wealth. (Bonfonte,) This not only provided financial security, but it is another factor that catered to the independence of Etruscan women.
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For the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined. This book, much more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Achean's peacetime civilization. Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman. Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative. Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks.
Cothren, M. & Marilyn Stokstad. (2011). Art History, Volume 2, 4th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Learning Solutions.
Women in antiquity did not have an easy lot in life. They had few, if any, rights. Surviving early records of the civilizations of antiquity from ancient Greece, Egypt, China, and Rome suggest the diversity of women’s roles differed little from region to region. There were a few exceptions, mostly concerning women of nobility and the city-state of Sparta. Excluding the rare instances mentioned most antique women were generally limited on education, mobility, and almost all possibilities interfering with domestic or childbearing responsibilities. The limited social roles of women in antiquity suggest the perceived c...
Johnson, Geraldine A. Renaissance Art, A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Greek and Roman women lived in a world where strict gender roles were given; where each person was judged in terms of compliance with gender-specific standards of conduct. Generally, men were placed above women in terms of independence, control and overall freedom. Whereas men lived in the world at large, active in public life and free to come and go as they willed, women's lives were sheltered. Most women were assigned the role of a homemaker, where they were anticipated to be good wives and mothers, but not much of anything else. The roles of women are thoroughly discussed in readings such as The Aeneid, Iliad, Sappho poetry, and Semonides' essay.
Lefkowitz, M., and Fant, M. (2nd. ed. 1982). Women's Life in Greece and Rome. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.
The construct of the ‘Roman copy’ in art history has deeply rooted and extensive origins. Whilst this prejudiced was attached to Roman sculpture from an extremely early time in modern archaeology and art history, the construct viewed in a current context reveals issues with both its development and contribution to historical understanding and education. The construct is formed upon several main factors that have recently been called into question by revisionist historians. Firstly, the development of the construct by conservative historians during the 18th century, a context that valued artistic originality and authenticity, lead to it’s popularisation and circulation as a respected model. Secondly, the construct rests entirely on the presumption that Greek art is in fact aesthetically and artistically superior, insinuating a negative predisposition towards Roman artistic workmanship and aesthetics. Lastly, technological advancements aiding historiography have asserted the fact that many conclusions drawn by conservative historians through their methodology are in fact irrefutably incorrect. While the basis for much of the conservative historians argument has been seen as flawed, or otherwise seriously questioned in terms of accurate and reliable history, the construct of ‘Roman copies’ of Greek originals has remained a legitimised understanding and interpretation of Roman art for centuries. The question can then be raised as to whether the attention given to this aspect of history is worth the fact that much of the history being taught is now being heavily questioned.
Vivante, B., Women's Roles in Ancient Civilizations, A Reference Guide; Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut • London, England,
Nash, Susan. Oxford History of Art: Norther Renaissance Art. 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 30-65. eBook.
Gender is a socially constructed term used to identify masculinity and femininity based on the biological sex of male and female. Romans and Greeks have many similar artistic styles, since the Romans copied many of their art techniques from the Greeks, especially the creation of the human body that the Greeks were very interested in beccause of the competitive streak in creating the most naturalistically porprotional humand body . The Terracotta Plaque, by an unknown artist, dated 27 B.C - 68 A.D during the Roman culture is a terracotta, which is a type of ceramic clay used by the Greeks to make many of their potery, whose image on the plaque also has many of the artistic styles used by the Greeks to illustarte the human body. The media compaign that is being created will discuss being against discrimination based on gender through this art piece that I choose in order to demonstrate the form in which women’s feminity and men’s masculinity is portrayed, as feminity being evil yet submissive and masculinity as being strength and dominance. Through the symbolic items held by the man, the animals used by both the man and woman, and the displayment of their bodies one can demonstrate the discrimination of gender.
Lefkowitz, Mary R., and Maureen B. Fant. Women's Life in Greece and Rome. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2005.
The society in which classical myths took place, the Greco-Roman society was a very patriarchal one. By taking a careful gander at female characters in Greco-Roman mythology one can see that the roles women played differ greatly from the roles they play today. The light that is cast upon females in classical myths shows us the views that society had about women at the time. In classical mythology women almost always play a certain type of character, that is to say the usual type of role that was always traditionally played by women in the past, the role of the domestic housewife who is in need of a man’s protection, women in myth also tended to have some unpleasant character traits such as vanity, a tendency to be deceitful, and a volatile personality. If one compares the type of roles that ladies played in the myths with the ones they play in today’s society the differences become glaringly obvious whilst the similarities seem to dwindle down. Clearly, and certainly fortunately, society’s views on women today have greatly changed.
Throughout the centuries women have been adored, worshipped, admired, treasured, and for many very important. So, since the beginning of time artists have favored and used females as their muse and the things the women represent, whether it be a fertility idol, a mother goddess, reflecting a role or status of the women in their societies, or to simply be viewed upon for their beauty. The cultural identities of women in ancient art all revolve around the theme of fertility, sexuality, goddesses, and motherhood and the art exhibit, Cultural Identities of Women in Ancient Art will reveal ad describe this theme throughout the span of time and around the world, from prehistoric time though medieval Christendom.
Antiquity acts as a passageway into the past, and a mirror used to reflect current time. Often, uncovered documents are used to interpret traits about people who are unable to speak for themselves. These artifacts are discovered from ancient times and are written by elite men who had access to these costly materials. I believe the powerful men of ancient Rome neglected to share the aspects of women’s social lives and experiences within their written work. It is our job as preservers of antiquity to uncover the mysteries that lie beneath the literary works of these high-class men. In this paper I will demonstrate how funeral inscriptions give us a taste of how women were treated and the expectations they had to uphold in ancient Rome.