OSHER 937 - Women Artists in a Man's World, Part One: Medieval to 18th Century

This two-part course will explore the careers of women artists in what, for centuries, was a male domain. To allow for class discussion, the historical time periods to be covered in each class are approximate. The fall session will begin with the Medieval period and go through the Rococo period of the early 18th century. In the winter term, we will pick up where we left off and continue on through the art of the 20th century. We will examine how women in the Middle Ages--multi-talented in music, arts and poetry as well as in painting--were able to make their mark and be recognized as artists. We will investigate the development of collaboration between female and male artists beginning with the father/ daughter or teacher/pupil relationship that evolved into that of the mentor/apprenticeship relationship between established male artists and inexperienced female pupils. This class is not a prerequisite for the winter class.