The image of the ideal wife in early modern Venice in art and text

1. The image of the ideal wife in early modern Venice in art and text. The Republic of Venice otherwise known as La Serenissima had a reputation for its security and political unity. It had a reputation for its ‘unsullied liberty, unwavering religiousity, social harmony and unfailingly peaceful intentions. ‘1 Art was used throughout the city to show and teach social and political virtues and expectations, according to Muir ‘artistic patronage became an arm of government. In consideration of this it was also a way of social propaganda, as high ranking members of the scuolas including the Dukes and Doges could depict them selves performing virtuous acts, thus promoting their reputation in the eyes of the republic. Venetian art depicting women at home gave a portrayal of what was expected from women in a domestic environment, and by their husbands. There was a strong family ethic within Venice promoting civic unity and strength, which was paramount in the running of the state. The images were all made how society expected the wife to be and what stereotypes were imposed upon women. All images of women were depicted through the eyes of men, and how they wished for others to perceive their household. Women were expected to provide their husbands with an heir to the household, their only other material contribution being a dowry which would add to the prestige and worth of the family name. Virtues such as faith, chastity and fecundity were required of a woman to contribute to the success of a household. A good wife would add to the familial reputation and allow for a higher social status for the man. If one originated from a good household he was a more stable member of the Venetian community which prided itself on unity and regulation. As the women were an essential component to the running of the household and domesticity there were often confined to running of a successful household. Wider more worldly concerns of the running of the republic were left to the patriarchal ruling of the state, as the women had absolutely no political power. Within the household women were separated from the men within the living space. Venetian writers advised that the mistress of the household should have their room separate from their husbands, but linked, and placed furthest away from the entrance of the household. 2 The domestic spaces of women and men were extremely separate. ‘The male servants never go into the women's apartments when they do not know for certain if there are daughters or marriageable damsels in the house, and likewise the young female servants do not appear, or do so rarely, in the apartments of their masters but they serve in the apartments of their mistresses†¦ and they go there through very secret staircases. Two ladies on a Terrace by Vittore Carpaccio (ca. 1500) is a demonstration of the literal differences in the spaces between men and women. The painting is divided into two halves, both gendered by traditional symbology. It is an allegorical representation of women and virtue as they are surrounded by symbols that support that. Two dogs represent fidelity; a peacock wanders through the painting showing the virtues of redemption, vanity and purity. The women represented are of a high social status as they are shown in the fashions of the time of women of a high social ranking. A Venetian bride is identifiable by her pearl necklace, and could possible be seen as the mother of the young boy in the picture. The allegorical symbols that surround her show what would be expected of her in marriage. The metaphorical representation of the separation of the two highly gendered worlds of the men and women lies in the inclusion of the balcony in the scene. Various symbols are placed on this division connecting the two worlds. Two turtle doves perched on the balcony show how the relationships between the men and women are linked by love and a union of two halves. The vases containing lilies and myrtle also act as symbols of purity and marriage. A little boy climbing between the gaps in the balcony shows a transition and connection between the two halves of the painting. Children up to a certain age were placed in the care of their mothers and the female servants, as the woman were expected to fulfil the role of nurturing the child. However, the little boy is growing up and obviously on the path to adulthood as he moves across to the world of men. In contrast to the domestic scene of the two women on the balcony, the men are out doors, in the background hunting a juxtaposition of the two worlds. This supports what Scamozzi was saying about the expectation of the women to stay in doors within the domestic space maintaining the household, and being in charge of the upbringing of the children. Piero della Francesca painted portraits of his patron Federigo da Montefeltro Duke of Urbino and his wife Battista Sforza (c. 1470). The subjects of the paintings are placed in such a way that they are facing each other, showing their faces in profile allowing us to see their costume. The couple are in traditional Venetian dress, showing their prestige and social status. His wife is shown in the fashion with her string of pearls and elaborate headdress, and he in the expensive clothes of a duke. The portrait of Sfora Battista demonstrates how a wife who had fulfilled her duties, with all of the virtues of ‘Two Ladies on a Terrace,' is honoured. Sfora Battista was married to the Duke of Urbino in 1460 at the young age of thirteen. After bearing him six daughters she died shortly after the birth of their first son and heir in 1472 at the age of 25. The portrait is therefore a posthumous portrait, allegedly based on her death masks or perhaps a previous portrait. 4 She was a good wife and fulfilled all of her duties sometimes acting as regent when the Duke was away. She was a pious woman and the portrait was painted in her honour. There are various aspects of the works that support this. She is placed on the dexter side5, however there is a claim that Federigo de Montefeltro had a facial deformity on the right hand side of his face, and was therefore always painted showing his best side. Apart from this, there are other aspects of the portrait that are Sfora Battista's favour. According to what was considered fashionable at the time her skin was very pale with hardly any shadowing. The pale sky is tonally very similar and brings out the pale colouring of her skin, emphasising its purity and clarity. In contrast to smooth texture of her skin the folds of the white cloth at the back of her head and the pearls hanging from her neck and the rest of her accessories are very detailed. The fact that our attention is drawn to her jewellery and clothing make us focus on her high ranking and social status. The two paintings come as a pair, however are linked and made whole by the contiguous background, and the matching triumphs painted on the other side. The backgrounds are subtly gendered in their content. Behind the woman there are small images of households. Behind her husband images of boats, similar to the background of Carpaccio's painting, showing more male activities. The honouring of his wife continues on into the thematic content of the Trionfi, which was painted in order to celebrate the virtues of a couple. Allegorical representations show Sfora Battista as a chaste woman, as her chariot is pulled by unicorns,6 and she is accompanied by the virtuous figures of Charity, Hope and Faith, who sit at the front of the carriage. Chastity and modesty stand behind Sfora at the back. She is surrounded by all of the virtues required in a perfect wife. Federigo is also shown wearing armour, surrounded by virtues that would show his status as a great ruler. However, as much as he is shown as a great ruler it is obviously the importance of his wife that adds to his success, as the two portraits are equal in content and importance of the subjects. Veronese's depiction of the mistress Guistinia Guistiniani Lady of the Barbaro Villa is a further celebration of a good Venetian wife. With a dowry of ten thousand duckets she brought fortune and a good name, and bore her husband four sons. Marcantonio Barbaro worked in conjunction with the architect Palladio, and the artist Veronese in creating the villa in Maser, with an ‘interdependance of themes that refer metaphorically to family, State and Church. These themes were mainly expressed through the artistry of Veronese's frescoes that are featured through out the villa. Symbols of eternity and the elements which are featured in other frescoes of the household contribute to an allegory of Love throughout the household. A collegue of Marcantonio Barbaro, Bendetto Varchi, speaks of the importance of love in a household: ‘Love still binds with firm friendships the villas and cities; it governs the marital knot and deticates its laws to faithful friends where all good resides. ‘ The goddess of Love herself surrounded by the other Olympian gods looks down on the mistress of the household Guistiniana and her son, who looks out to greet visitors into the house, reiterating her power in the household. An allegorical symbol of fecundity is above her reminding us of her fulfilled duty as a wife by providing a son and heir to her husband. Her status as a mother as well as mistress of the household is repeated and emphasised by the fact that one of her children is standing on one side of her and one of her servants on the other. An empty space in the group suggests the absence of Marcantonio Barbaro as the master of the household. The boy is separated from the two women in the image indicating a social gender difference, similar to that of Carpaccio's ‘Two Ladies on a Balcony'. Although he is tied to his mother at the moment in time, due to his young age, in time he will have to separate and become an absent influence, moving from the domestic world of his mother in the villa, to the outside world of men. In the interior world of the Villa Barbaro Guistiniana is clearly in control as she is placed high, like the gods depicted in the fresco, giving her a divine authority over the household, and the realm of her visitors below her. The iconography that surrounds the mistress of the household from her divine positioning ‘alludes†¦ to terrestrial love and concord, expressed in the nuptial rites of men and more particularly in Marcantonio's marriage to Giustiniana. ‘9 According to Reist a depiction of Juno, Hymenaeus, and Venus could be seen as a representation of a matrimonial scene along with the father of the bride. Other scenes also refer to the success of the household, with allegorical representations referring to the Villas wine production. The symbolism all refers to the gods and cosmos placing their blessings upon the villa Barbaro its wealth, and the fruitful union of Guistiniana and Marcantonio. The Miracle of the Speaking Infant by Titian shows a wife depicted in a negative attitude. The image depicts a Venetian noble woman unfairly accused by her husband of adultery – a unforgivable sin to be committed by a woman, as they were expected to be pious and loyal. During the time women who committed adultery could be deprived of their dowries,10 and the disapproval of her community, thus depriving her of her means to survive socially and financially. According to Venetian law the offence could be punishable by death, the woman's honour only being salvageable by her family, or kin, as it was their reputation that was effectively being tarnished by their association with the woman. Finally the child born of this situation was considered the lowest of all society, a mere bastard ‘contaminating the lineage. ‘ According to the myth, St Anthony asks the child who his father is. By a miracle the child responds by pointingg out his father in the crowd thus saving his mother from a terrible fate. The scene could be seen as an attempt to put women in a better light, as she has been wrongly accused, supported by no one apart from her child. In reality she is a good and faithful wife, and should be loved and honoured by her husband accordingly. Visually we are made to sympathise with the woman, as her side of the story as a victim is portrayed to us first, as the painting is read from right to left. The woman is depicted with two other women, one holding her own child so that she can directly be compared to the woman who is having her child taken away from her, making us more sympathetic to her case. Titian is effectively campaigning for the necessity of the mother in the family life, as the painting is ultimately in support of the accused wife. Women in Venice were an essential part in the running of the household and family life. Good wives were celebrated for their virtues, which were specifically expressed in portraits and representations of domestic scenes. Veronese shows a wife being honoured for her contribution to the family name, whereas Titian shows a wife disgraced for not performing her familial duties. However in both cases the importance of the women in the nurture and domestic environment is demonstrated in both images. Masters of the household who had wives that would effectively add to the prestige of their family ranking and lineage honoured their wives through their portraiture, thus making eternal the contribution and importance they had to the family.