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.

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Apr 18th, 10:00 AM Apr 18th, 11:00 AM

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