The V Shape

Pregnancy during the Renaissance was fascinating to say the least. One specific aspect of giving birth that I found slightly disturbing was the psychical position of the soon-to-be mother. I found myself cringing at the thought. There were actually a few different positions depending on the situation, but most deliveries were commonly preformed on some type of chair.
(I sat in desk chair to try and imagine what this experience would have been like... go ahead. Try it.)
Turns out these were not just everyday chairs. They were specifically designed for giving birth.

 

When the time was right, the midwife would require the woman to sit in a chair with a v-shaped rim. In order for there to be no pressure under the woman, the center of the chair was hallow and the back of the chair was slanted so the woman could lean back for more comfort and support. This also gave the midwife easy access to the baby.

 

Childbirth: Woodcut from Der Swangern Frawen und he bammen roszgarten, by Eucharius Rösslin, 1513. 

(An imagine displaying the use of a birthing chair.)

The V-shaped chair was more commonly used on women who had already experienced giving birth. First-timers relied on more comfortable positions. 

Sources:
http://www.gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/WomenMed.html
http://www.elenagreene.com/childbirth.html

The Miracle of Birth

The Miracle of Birth was painted by Enea Salmeggio of Bergamo in the early 1600's. The painting has many distinguishing features that relate to life during the time period. The mother is show as sitting on the side of her bed with a person behind her who assisted in giving her a sitting position rather than laying down on the bed which would seem unusual for many modern day people but was common at the time. The priest in the painting just behind the woman appears to be giving a figurative  blessing to the newborn child. The painting features a three dimensional look that was common for the time it was painted yet holds a simplicity to in which was a hallmark of its creator Enea Salmeggio.  Enea Salmeggio was greatly influence by the works of Raphael and sought to include these influences within his own work. Its impressive that the color palate of the painting is mostly composed of reds and red tinted colors yet manages to give the impression of a warmth within the room and atmosphere. The painting is also notable for the expression of movement as the child is passed from who could be presumed to be the midwife to another female servant. Overall the image provides a look an perspective in

to the a personal  moment not as commonly seen in Renaissance era art.

Sources

The Miracle of Birth, YooniqImages,https://yooniqimages.com/images/detail/100705861/Creative/the-miracle-of-the-birth-by-enea-salmeggia-known-as-talpino-1580-1620-about-16th-century-17th-century 

Wornum, Ralph A.Bibliographical Catalogue of the Principal Italian Painters, With a Table of the Contemporary Schools of Italy, (London: Woodall and Kinder, 1855) 

https://books.google.com/books?id=XCtkAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intitle:Wornum+intitle:principal+intitle:painters&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2wcj70KfLAhVKt4MKHfaRDRsQ6AEINTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Midwives in the Birth of the Virgin Mary?

The Nativity of the Virgin is a painting by the Italian painter, Pietro Lorenzetti. It was done around 1335-1342. The painting had been commissioned as part of a cycle of four altarpieces dedicated to the city's patron saints and originally was a secondary altarpiece in the Cathedral of Siena. The painting utilizes linear perspective as the work is separated by two white piers in the foreground and there is a three-dimensio
nality to the living area depicted. The painting is indicative of the Renaissance as the characters, their clothes and surroundings, all have the realism characteristic of the period.

The work is a triptych with the scenes set in the same location. The left scene depicts Mary's father, Joachim, almost being told the birth of the Virgin Mary has occurred outside of the room where the birth occurred and therefore, somewhat removed from the experience. The most interesting feature of this fresco is the two panels to the right. Birthing in Renaissance Italy was a community affair with many women and a midwife helping the pregnant wife through. In Lorenzetti's painting, the community affair of Renaissance childbirth is evident. A woman in red, maybe a midwife, is seen washing the newly born Virgin Mary; women stand, in the rightmost panel, with cloth, waiting to help the resting mother and baby. In total, there are 5 women in the room with the mother during the birth and this would have been pretty standard for the period. The painting shows a Renaissance touch to the old subject of the nativity of Mary.

The painting is now housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo of Siena, Italy.

Credits:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/late-gothic-italy/siena-late-gothic/v/pietro-lorenzetti-birth-of-the-virgin-c-1342
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_the_Virgin_(Pietro_Lorenzetti)

Image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Pietro_lorenzetti,_natività_della_vergine_del_duomo_di_siena,_1342,_tempera_su_tavola_187x182,_museo_dell'opera_del_duomo_di_siena.jpg

Office of the Night

During the renaissance time period many men were being married around the age of thirty while the women would be married at a much younger age. This distance between ages created a certain type of event to become very popular, especially in cities such as Florence. This event was the act of sodomy. Although not viewed today in the same way as it was back in the renaissance period, back then the idea of sodomy was viewed as a very bad thing. With this event consuming Florence’s bachelors, an organization was formed with the purpose to stop the acts of sodomy. This group was the Office of the Night.  One of the main reasons why the act of sodomy was so common during this time was the fact that men would normally be married around the age of 30; whereas the girls were married around a much younger age. This means that a man in his twenties was likely to be a bachelor until the age of 30. Because a woman’s virginity was a key component for marriage the young unmarried woman of this time were kept under close guard by their fathers, which means that men had to find alternative ways in which to pleasure themselves; thus the act of sodomy. Although the Office of the Night did not have any pictures of their organization (or at least none that I could find) they did keep excellent records of their work. Some of this work can be referred to in the book “Forbidden Friendships”.

https://igfculturewatch.com/1998/05/28/homosexuality-in-renaissance-florence/

Who Doesn't LOVE a good painting?

Titian painted the Venus of Urbino in 1538 for the Duke Urbino Guidobaldo II Della Rovere.  Venus, the Roman goddess of love, is depicted as a nude, sensual woman, which was not how women were normally painted at the time; Titian is only able to paint her this way because she represents a Roman goddess, not an Italian woman.  In her hand are roses, and on the window ledge a myrtle plant; both are symbols associated with Venus, and represent the love Venus is offering her: a kind of passion in marriage.  In the background, maids can be seen gathered around an open cassone, or marriage chest. 

The painting was actually commissioned by the Duke as a gift to his wife and serves as an allegory of marriage.  The eroticism in the painting symbolizes the marital obligations the wife would have to fulfill with her spouse.  The sleeping dog at Venus’s feet is a symbol of marital fidelity.  The older maid looking down at the young girl going through the cassone represents motherhood, another expected duty of a wife.

Sources:

http://www.titian.org/venus-of-urbino.jsp#

http://www.uffizi.org/artworks/venus-of-urbino-by-titian/

I Will Cut You

Being a woman during the Renaissance was hard. Being an acclaimed painter was even harder. Luckily for Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), her skill and connections enabled her to be the first ever woman admitted to the Florentine Academy of Design in 1616. She came to be known as the as the most important woman painter of the Early Modern Europe. Unfortunately, Gentileschi was raped at the age of 19, an event that changed her life forever. Strong woman that she was, Gentileschi took her crime to trial and was adamant about putting the man in jail. He was convicted of rape and sentenced to prison for less than a year. Succeeding his releasement, he was invited back into the Gentileschi household. The horrors of her youth were shown in her work. She became fascinated with the story of Judith and Holofernes: after the Assyrians had besieged her city, the strong pious Jewish widow Judith seduced the general Holofernes with the intention of murdering him and saving her people from destruction. She depicted multiples paintings of the story of "Judith Slaying Holofernes".
    My favorite is the one she painted in 1620 in the Baroque style. The strong use of light and shadows, heavily influenced by Caravaggio's style, reveals drama, dynamism, and depth. Gentileschi was not shy to show gore, as blood oozes and splatters from Holofernes' neck onto the white sheets and the women. What is great about this painting is the physical and psychological strength that is seen in both of these women. They are strong young women working in unison, unscared of the brutality of their actions. Judith has her sleeves rolled up and holds a firm grip on the sword. Her body is not frail nor fragile. Her gaze is focused, her face concentrated: she does not flinch. Her maidservant is depicted similarly, as she has a firm grip on Holofernes and her face is solid. The message is clear: women can be strong and independent, no matter what society says.

   
The image is currently located at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Here is a link that further explains the painting:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/v/gentileschi-judith

Sources:

Gentileschi, Judith Slaying Holofernes. Khan Academy, 2016. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/baroque-art1/baroque-italy/a/gentileschi-judith-slaying-holofernes

Artemisia Gentileschi: Biography and Art. Art History Archive. http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/baroque/Artemisia-Gentileschi.html