Gothic

Stained Glass Window- The Cathedral Chartres

This stained glass rose window is from Chartres Cathedral in France. In it the virgin mother is depicted with the Christ child. The blue color in this window is so unique that despite efforts, it has never been accurately replicated. The window is so loved that it is worshiped, a typical occurrence for participants of the Cult of Mary. They usually worship statues and other objects, not usually windows, which makes this window even more special. It has been called the most beautiful stained glass window in existence. For a woman to be so so revered says much about the respect these people have for women.

Romanesque

Vision of St. Hildegard of Bingen, Liber Scivias,1050-1079

This illumination was included as a frontispiece in the Liber Scivias. It shows Hildegard receiving a vision and dictating to her scribe and secretary. Hildegard was a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, German Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, poems, and arguably the oldest surviving morality play, while supervising brilliant miniature illuminations. The Scivias is an illustrated work by Hildegard van Bingen describing 26 religious visions she experienced. Though it is unclear what her role was in the illumination of the manuscript, she has been assigned every role from being uninvolved, to directing others to create them, to being their direct creator. Regardless of her precise relation to the art; however, the fact that she, as a woman, was accepted as a living oracle and permitted to document her experiences is impressive.

Early Medieval

Uta Codex 1025

The Uta Codex is an illuminated manuscript created by nuns at the command of the abbess Uta. This expensive manuscript is made of animal skin pages. It is one of the most beautiful and complex of the Ottonian manuscripts. Included in the dedication pages is an illustration of the abbess Uta dedicating the codex to the Virgin Mary. This shows the important role that women played during the Early Medieval time period in both religious life and as patrons of the arts.

Islamic

The Qur’an

The Qur'an is the sacred text of the Islam religion. In it is divine guidance and moral direction for mankind as reveled from God. Female figures in the Qur'an are important characters and subjects of discussion in the stories and morals taught within the book. Some of the women in the Qur'an are portrayed in a positive light, while others are condemned and punished for their actions. The women of Islam are advised to veil themselves. In the Qur'an we read that women are lesser to men, yet their role is still significant.

Byzantine

Vladmir Virgin 12th century

This icon was made post Iconic Controversy. It is quite visibly a tender, powerful image. It depicts the Virgin Mother on a flat gold background cradling her son. She appears somber, as if aware of the future sacrifice of her child. This icon is very important in Russia. It is said to have helped them to win battles among other accounts of miraculous intervention. Three times a year the Russians hold feasts in honor of the Vladimir Virgin as she is considered a sacred treasure of the Russian people.

Late Antiquity

Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, Vienna Genesis, early 6th century.

Illuminated Manuscripts were the first illustrated Bibles. This scene of Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well is one of the many depicted in the Vienna Genesis, a manuscript named for its location. The pages are a purple dyed calf skin and the text is written in silver inked Greek. This illustration is from the book of Genesis when Eliezer goes out to find a wife for Issac and meets Rebecca at a well. The manuscript depicts two scenes in one. You see Rebecca leaving and also you see her giving water to the camels and to Eliezer. The artist depicted just enough characters to tell the story and not anything more. This picture clear portrays the transition from the classical idealized realism of the Greeks to the iconic, stylized art of the Middle Ages. Unlike classical art, the art of Late Antiquity does not emphasize the beauty and movement of the body, instead it merely hints at a spiritual reality behind its subjects. The images are flat, with ill-composed space. In this illustration we see Rebecca is the focus as she is duplicated; however, there is little detail. From this manuscript we can infer women were respected spiritually. Interestingly, the water of the well is represented by a semi nude woman, possibly to represent the life-giving and life-sustaining nature of women.

Roman

Portrait of a Flavian Woman c. A.D. 90

This elegant portrait bust is very detailed and quite delicate. Notice the soft textures of her hair and flesh. The woman appears gentle, sweet and flawless. She is certainly a woman revered and idealized. Additionally, she is young. Previously, only older women whose lives made them worthy of the art, were sculpted. Here; however, we see that beauty has become a reason for the immortalization of art.

Greek

Temple of Hera I 550 BC

This Archaic temple is built out of sandstone in the doric order. As a temple dedicated to the goddess Hera, sacrifices were made and votive gifts were left for her. This architectural structure signifies the importance of women as it is an entire temple for a female goddess. The Greeks took her seriously, and held her in such high esteem, that they consciously created this long standing temple in her honor.

Prehistoric Aegean

Cycladic Figurine of a Woman

These highly stylized, flat, geometrically shaped marble statuettes have been discovered on grave sites. This implies a ritual funerary use. However, there is evidence that the figurines were used and repaired long before going into the grave. The female figurines are nude and triangular, with their arms crossed across the stomach, a pose considered symbolic of a woman’s fertility. On a similar note, they may represent, in a like-manner of the Venus of Willendorf, a Great Goddess of Nature, a fertility goddess. Fertility, afterall, was a central theme in their religion. Though definite meaning and function is unknown, it is nice to see that women, and their prominent role in rebirth and the life cycle, are so openly depicted.

Egyptian

Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Three Daughters c. 1353-35 BC

This sunken relief carving, from Egypt's New Kingdom period, shows Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their three daughters under the rays of the sun god. It is an intimate scene of the family worshiping together. Both parents enjoy holding and intereacting with their children, implying a sense of balance and respect between the genders. Additionally, Nefertiti was called "the most beautiful woman in the world," another representation of her significance and her power. As the family is interacting so intimately with one another, the viewer becomes aware of how they seem to be depicted more naturalistically, individualistically, and informally than in other eras. Additionally, the fact that their children are girls, and are still included in the art, implies a sense of disregard for male superiority.

Ancient Near Eastern

Statuettes from the Square Temple

These Sumerian statuettes, which were found in religious sites of worship, are dated to c. 2700 B.C. The figurines have clasped hands and wide eyes, as if they are in a permanent state of constant, diligent prayer. Their dress appears priestly, sacred. It is believed that they are votive figurines, meaning they are objects that are left at a temple by a worshiper as a form of prayer or worship. What stands out to me is that the statuettes are not solely male. Included with the priestly figures are priestesses. This shows that Sumerian women had (at least some) rights. Though many of the female carvings are smaller (an implication of being inferior) than their male counterparts, it is still a significant fact that Sumerian women were able to worship and pray alongside men.