Female Perspectives: The Overlooked Women of the Renaissance

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Women of the Renaissance

After the Middle Ages, Europe experienced a Renaissance, or an era of rebirth. This era provided Europe with new discoveries and advancements in the areas of geography, politics, social, economic and culture. It lasted between 1300-1500 and is considered the transition from medieval times to the early modern world. Some notable people from this area are Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vici, Raphael and Donatello. However, the group most often overlooked during this period were women. In Joan Kelly-Gadol's essay "Did Women Have a Renaissance," she stated that although that it was a time for new developments and rebirth, it mostly benefited men. Although not talked about in full depth in history textbooks, women were a viable …show more content…

The woman had to have blonde hair, if not, the hair would be dyed. It also required to have high foreheads, achieved by shortening the hairline by plucking hair with tweezers. Women needed pale skin and a long neck in order to be considered beautiful. People in the Renaissance believed that beauty on the outside meant that they were beautiful on the inside as well. Their personality had to fit the ideas of the patriarchy. Women had to be quiet, respectful, had no problem with being controlled by men, and must enjoy the attention from men for being a fair …show more content…

Witch-hunts were tied to the religious aspect of the renaissance. These women typically spoke out against the church and were accused of black magic, leading them to their death. In the Catholic religion, women were typically nuns, but other than that not much is known about women and the church during the Renaissance.

Women during the Renaissance cannot be seen as today's definition of feminism. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism can be described as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. In the Renaissance, women always knew where their place was and nothing could be done about, Sure there were some women who decided to take action but they were quickly silenced, leaving other women with no hope. Women also were brought up this way so to them, this was normal to them.

It is clear that women of the Renaissance experienced hardships and injustices throughout their lives. Women had to be "perfect" and not question the authority of men. Obviously, the times have changed but we should never forget how the women of the Renaissance were treated and how much improvement was

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