Religions and Women

Judaism. Christianity. Islam. Hinduism. Buddhism

IMPORTANTPOINTSUptothispointinthesemesterwe’vebeenlookingatimagesofthefemalefigureinart.BeginningwiththeRiverValleyCivilizaGons,inaddiGontothefemaleswelookedat,thereweremanyotherimages,includingofmen.Menareusuallydepictedaswarriors,godsorhero’s.Lessdiscussioninhistoryisgiventothefemale’srole,whichiswhywearehighlighGngithere.IwantedtoshowimagesofthefemalefigurebeforetheJudeo-ChrisGanerainart,becauseeverythingchangedaNerthat.

ThefemaleinChrisGanArt---SaintsorSinners.WeseemanyimagesofEveandtheVirginMary.Imagesofwomenandrolesforwomenarelimited.

IMPORTANTPOINTSTheothercivilizaGonswe’velookedatthusfarhavehadpolytheisGcbeliefsystems.Thismeanstheybelievedinmanygodsandgoddesses.JudaismandthenChrisGanityaremonotheisGc.Theybelieveinonegod.TheshiNfrommanygodstoonegodeliminatedcompletelythefemalefromgodstatusintheWest.SeemynoteonthenextslideregardingAristotle.TheeliminaGonofthegoddessfigureandthephilosophyofAristotleworkedtodiminishthefemaleroleinartandsociety.

FrommulGplegodsandgoddessestooneGod

Thisisanimportantsidenote:Reallypartoflastweek’sGmeperiodbutplaysoutthisweekTheGreekphilosopherAristotle,wroteaboutmanythings.HisviewsonWomenlaterinfluencedWestern(ChrisGanandJewish)andIslamicideasaboutgenderroles.1.  Hewroteextensivelyonhowwomen

wereinferiortomen.2.  InaddiGon,fair-skinnedwomenwere

superiorto‘darker-skinned’ones.3.  HebelievedrelaGonsbetweenmen

andwomenwerehierarchical,withmenatthetop.

4.  Healsodualized(tomakesomethingastwodifferentparts),maleandfemalecharacterisGcs.

AccordingtoAristotlemenare:RaGonalIntelligentAcGveResponsible(semen)forlifeFemalesare:IrraGonalEmoGonal(pronetojealousy,voidofshameorself-respect)DecepGvePassiveHisideasshi)edtheroleofthefeminineinsociety.Weares5lllivingwiththefall-outtoday.

TheendoftheRomanEmpireRomeeventuallybegantocollapseundertheweightofit’sownsize.InvadersfromoutsidetheempireandfighGngfromwithin,weakenedit’sstrength.ConstanGneemergedfrompowerstrugglesaNerthedeathofMarcusAureliusassoleemperorofareunifiedRomein324CE.HemovedtheRomancapitaltotheGreekcityofByzanGum,whichherenamedConstanGnople(wecallitIstanbul).ConstanGnemadeChrisGanity(onceanobscureJewishsect)Rome’sofficialreligion.Thischangedeverything.

PortraitofConstanGne,fromtheBasilicaNova,Rome,Italy,ca.315–330CE.Marble,approx.8’6”high.PalazzodeiConservatori,Rome.

TheByzanGneEmpireTheByzanGneEmpirebeganinabout330CEwhenConstanGnededicateditasthe“newRome.”ThewesternpartoftheRomanempirefellafewyearslater(476)andforabout1,000yearswhileEuropedeclined,theEasternpartoftheempiresurvived.TheChrisGanChurchreplacedRomanemperorsasthemostpowerfulforceinartandmostartfromthisGmeisChrisGan;storiesfromthebible.TheByzanGnestyle,basedontheirideas,wasverydifferentthanthatoftheGreeksandRomans.

ByzanGneartisstylized.Linear,flat,designedNOTtolooknaturalisGc.Commissionedbythechurch,theartworkwasdesignedtoseparateChristfromrealpeople.HeisaGod.ThisisamosaicfromachurchinRavenna,ItalythatdepictstheChrisGanstoryoftheloavesandfishes.Ca.504

ChrisGanImagesChrisGaniconographyincludeChurchsancGonedimagesof:•  Christ(andcertainstoriesfromhislife)•  Theholyfamily(Mary,Josephand

storiesfromtheirlives)•  Storiesfromthebibledesignedto

teachthereligionandfordevoGon•  Angelsandotherheavenlybeings•  ChurchsancGonedstoriesfromthe

OldTestament(theHebrewBible)

InorderforpeopletoidenGfycharactersasholy,theyweredepictedwithhalos.TheearlyimageswereintheByzanGnestyle,thenlaterweseemorenaturalisGcstylesintheGothicandEarlyRenaissance.

ChristasPantokrator(theJudge),domemosaicintheChurchoftheDormiGon,Daphni,Greece,ca.1090–1100.

TheCultoftheVirginMaryEventhoughtherearefewreferencestotheVirginMaryinthebible,shebecameverypopularamongpeopleoftheGme.TheleadersoftheChrisGanChurchfoundawayofincludingherintheiconography(images)bydeemingherthe‘Theotokos’or‘MotheroftheGod’atacouncilin431.ANerthatGme,manyimagesarefoundandcathedralsdedicatedtoher.MaryseatedonathronewithChristinherlap.SheissurroundedbysaintsanddepictedintheByzanGnestyle.

OneoftheoldestimagesoftheVirgininByzanGum,thisencausGciconfromSt.Catherine’sMonasteryisfromca.600

TheCultoftheVirginMary

HerearetwomoreimagesofByzanGneVirginMaryimages.Botharemosaicsfromthewallsofchurches.AllimagesoftheVirginMaryfromthisGmeshowherthisway,withtheChristchildinherlap.

Thisone’sinSantaSofiainIstanbul

TheMiddleAgesinEuropeOnceEuropebegantorebuild,monkstravelingthroughItaly,France,SpainbringingChrisGanitywiththemareresponsibleforbuildingmonasteries,whichincludedchurchesthatgrewtotowns.TheRomanesqueperiod(c.1000to1150)andthentheGothicthatfollowed(c.1150-1300),weredominatedbyChrisGanArt.MostoftheartworkwassculptureandIlluminatedManuscriptpainGng.IlluminatedManuscriptsarebiblesthatwerehand-wrimenwithpainGngstorepresentthestories.DotheseimagesoftheVirginandChildremindyouofanything?

VirginandChild,1175-1200,wood,French

TheMiddleAgesinEuropeRomanesque(meaningRoman-like)isastylegiventoartworkfromabout1000-1150.DuringtheRomanesqueperiodsculpturesappearontheoutsidesofchurchesandcathedralsasawayofremindinganilliteratecongregaGonthestoriesofthebible.ManyofthesechurcheswerededicatedtotheVirginMaryasshehadgainedgreatpopularitybythisGme.Someofthemostpopularstoriesinclude:AdamandEveTheNaGvityTheSecondComingandJudgmentStoriesfromtheLifeofMary

ThetopimageisRomanesque,styleisflat,morelikeByzanGne.BomomisGothic,statuesarebecomingmorenaturalisGc.

TheissueofEve–thefirstmotherTheChrisGanOldTestamentisreallytheHebrewBible.SinceJesuswasaJewishmanwhoChrisGansbelievewasthepromisedsavior,theChurchleadersincorporatedtheHebrewBibleintotheChrisGanonearguingitprefiguredthecomingofChrist.ThestoryofAdamandEveisonethatisrepresentedextensivelyinart.EveisdepictedastheonewhotemptsAdamtodisobeytheWordofGodandhenceisresponsibleforthedownfallofmankind.Asaresult,sheisrepresentedasatemptress.She’sthesinner,responsibleforalloriginalsin.

ThetopimageisEvegivingtheappletoAdam,fromVezelayCathedralBomomis,Thetempta5onofEve,originallyonAutunCathedral.

TheMiddleAgesinEuropeBytheGothicPeriod(1150-1300)westarttoseesculpturesonthesidesofcathedralswithstoriesfromthelifeofthevirgin.Therearealsomanycathedralsdedicatedtoher.Astoryofherlifeemergesandartworkrepresentimportanteventsinherlife. TwoscenesfromthelifeoftheVirgin

Mary,TheAnnunciaGonandVisitaGon,ReimsCathedral,

NotreDameCathedralinChartresisdedicatedtotheVirginMary.InatympanumsheisenthronedwithChrist,surroundedbyangels.SheisworshipednowastheQueenofheavenaswellasthebodyofthechurch.

TheCultoftheVirginMaryInaddiGontothetradiGonalimagesoftheVirginwe’veseen,thousandsofstatuesandpainGngsofthe‘BlackMadonna”havebeenfoundthroughoutEurope.TheBlackMadonnaisamuchmisunderstoodfigureinArtHistory.Duetoracismandignorance,differentexplanaGonshavebeengiventowhyherskinisblack.Recently,LaGnAmericanscholar,Dr.MalgorzataOleszkiewicz-Paralba,aNerextensiveresearch,hassuggestedthesefiguresrelatetomuchearlierMotherGoddesses.

BlackMadonna’sfromthe12thtothe15thcenturies.

EarlyChrisGanArtTheearliestChrisGanartworkcomesfromDuraEuroposineasternSyria.DuraEuroposwasacityatthecrossroadsoftheGreek,PersianandRomanworlds.AtDuraEuroposweseeseewallpainGngsthatrelatetobothJewishandChrisGanthemes.

CrossingtheRedSea,DuraEuropos,3rdCentury,wallpainGng

ChristastheGoodShepherd,DuraEuropos,3rdCentury,wallpainGng

Judaism–theHebrewBibleThereareanumberofversesintheHebrewBiblethatmenGonaprohibiGonagainstthecreaGonofvariousimages.ThestrongestcomesfromtheTenCommandments,infact,thefirstoftheTen.“YoushallhavenootherGodbeforeMe.”Donotrepresent[such]godsbyanycarvedstatueorpictureofanythingintheheavenabove,ontheearthbelow,orinthewaterbelowtheland.Donotbowdownto[suchgods]orworshipthem.IamGodyourLord,aGodwhodemandsexclusiveworship.WhereMyenemiesareconcerned,Ikeepinmindthesinofthefathersfor[their]descendants,tothethirdandfourth[generaGon].ButforthosewholoveMeandkeepMycommandments,Ishowloveforthousands[ofgeneraGons]Exodus20:3-6

ReligiousleadershavecometointerpretthisprohibiGonasmostlyaboutsculpture.However,forthisreason,thereislessartworkinhumanformintheJewishtradiGon.Asaresult,artworkinJewishsynagoguesisoNensymbolicandhighlydecoraGvewithgeometricandnaturalelements.

Islam-ImagesofhumansandanimalsareoutlawedintheMuslimtradiGon.Theytoo,believethatmakingthesekindsofimagesbringshumanstooclosetoGod.Asaresult,theirmosquesandmanuscriptsaredecoratedbyintricateorganicdesignsandcalligraphyfromtheKoran.

MihrabfromtheMadrasaImami,Isfahan,Iran,ca.1354.GlazedmosaicGlework,11’3”X7’6”.MetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork..

Koranpagewithbeginningofsurah18,al-Kahf(TheCave),ninthorearlytenthcentury.Inkandgoldonvellum

HinduismThestoriesofHinduismcamefromtheVedicTexts.InthecourseofthefirstMillenniumBCEtheVedasweresucceededbytheUpanishadsandBrahmans.Thesewerenotwrimendownbutrecitedorally.Itwasn’tunGlthe2ndCenturyCEwhereweseethestoriesshiNtothecurrentHindugodsofShiva,VishnuandthegoddessShakG.Thentherearemanystoriesaboutthem.ThoughtheyaremenGonedmuchearlier,artworkdoesn’tshowupunGlthe2ndcentury.WhilethereisawidearrayofimagesinHinduart,thereisconsistencyinrepresentaGon.Thisisbecausetherearecanons(orcodes)forarGstsastohowtodepictthegodsandgoddess.

Themaingodswere:Shiva(hisfemaleconsortisShakG)VishnuThegodsandgoddessesalsohaveavatars.Thismeanstheycanshowupindifferentforms.SomeGmesShakGshowsupasDurga,anangrymothergoddess.ShivaandVishnuhavemanydifferentavatars.

HinduismImenGonedthereweremaingods(3really;Braman,ShivaandVishnu).ShivaandVishnuappearinanumberofdifferentforms.HereareafewoftheformsforShiva.NoGcethemulGplearms.Bemertoprotectwith.

Maybethemostwellknownisthecosmicdancer.

AsSadashiva,with3facesseatedonalotusthrone.

Verypopularisthe‘linga.’Shivaasaphallus.

Andaswehaveseen,Ardhanarishvara,halfmaleandhalffemale.

Hinduism—Shiva--ShakGFromtheearlierlotusgoddessweseetheevoluGonoftheyoni.ThisabstractedimageofthefemalevaginaisfoundinmanyHindutemples.ItissGllconsideredsymbolicoflifeandgeneraGonoflife,includinggoodfortune.

ShakGastheferGlityGoddess,

YonifromatempleinVietnam,

Hinduism—Shiva--ShakGShivaandVishnubothhavefemalecounterparts.Hinduism,unlikeChrisGanity,doesnotdualizemaleandfemale.ShakGisthefemalecompanionofShivabutsheisnotsubordinate.Shehasherownamributesandpowers.Shakti’s appearances range from goddesses of annihilation and death to those who guarantee peace and prosperity. InthisimageShakGisstandinginasimilarposetothe‘limledancer’fromtheMohenjoDaro,IndusValleycivilizaGon.TheScurveofherbodyisgracefulandsensual.Sheiswearingjewlryandacrown.Pantsbutnotopandstandingonalotus.

ShakG,.

Hinduism—Shiva--ShakGShakGalsoappearsasamulGarmedgoddess,Deviwhoisafierceprotector.Herlegendsdepicttheangry,ferociousaspectsofamothergoddess.

AlsoknownasDurgaShemanifestsasagoddesswitheightortenarmsholdingweaponsandskullsofdemons,andisastrideonaGgerorlion.

Hinduism-Vishnu-LakshmiVishnu’s wife is Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity (material and spiritual). TheworshipofLakshmi,predatesthatofVishnu.ImagesofherhavebeenfoundintheIndusValleyareaasfarbackas1,000BCESheisalsoworshipedasaJainGoddess.AbeliefsystemthatpredatesHinduismandiscurrentlypracGcedinIndia.

ThisimagecarvedintothesideofatempleshowsLakshmiseatedonalotusthronebeingbathedbytwoelephants.Sheiswearingacrownandholdingheramributesineachhand.

Mainpointsthisweek1.  Aristotle’s views on women

2. Representations of women in Christianity

The Virgin Mary Eve

3. The argument on use of Imagery to represent deities 4. Comparison of Christian images and roles for females and those of Buddhist and Hindu 5. Art is not created outside social, cultural (including religious) beliefs. The art we look at reflects and reinforces beliefs. This is really important for us.