Lessons of Virtue: Portrayals of Women in Dutch Genre Painting
Location
CSU 201
Start Date
18-4-2016 10:00 AM
End Date
18-4-2016 11:00 AM
Student's Major
Art
Student's College
Arts and Humanities
Mentor's Name
Alisa Eimen
Mentor's Department
Art
Mentor's College
Arts and Humanities
Description
The visual arts can serve as a window into society and its cultural expectations. Seventeenth- century Dutch paintings helped establish the societal expectations for Dutch women during this time period. The paintings of artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Judith Leyster and Nicolaes Maes give clues as to the roles of Dutch women through their realistic portrayals of everyday life. Depictions of women vary significantly during this period. Women portrayed as lazy housemaids, diligent workers and even prostitutes served as guides or moralizing commentaries for the daughters of middle class art patrons. In Dutch society the status of the household reflected the status of the Republic and at the helm of household affairs were women. Therefore, teaching women domestic responsibilities became a central focus in society and visual representations of women reflect the significance of the domestic sphere. Through an analysis of Dutch genre paintings of the seventeenth-century a clearer picture of the expectations of women can be garnered.
Lessons of Virtue: Portrayals of Women in Dutch Genre Painting
CSU 201
The visual arts can serve as a window into society and its cultural expectations. Seventeenth- century Dutch paintings helped establish the societal expectations for Dutch women during this time period. The paintings of artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Judith Leyster and Nicolaes Maes give clues as to the roles of Dutch women through their realistic portrayals of everyday life. Depictions of women vary significantly during this period. Women portrayed as lazy housemaids, diligent workers and even prostitutes served as guides or moralizing commentaries for the daughters of middle class art patrons. In Dutch society the status of the household reflected the status of the Republic and at the helm of household affairs were women. Therefore, teaching women domestic responsibilities became a central focus in society and visual representations of women reflect the significance of the domestic sphere. Through an analysis of Dutch genre paintings of the seventeenth-century a clearer picture of the expectations of women can be garnered.
Recommended Citation
Wardyn, Keely. "Lessons of Virtue: Portrayals of Women in Dutch Genre Painting." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 18, 2016.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2016/oral-session-01/1
