Becoming articulate: women writing on the visual arts in Renaissance Italy

Abstract

Despite continuing interest in the contribution made by women to the material culture of Renaissance Italy, little attention has been devoted to their writings on the subject, although there is much material, both informal and intended for publication. This paper will attempt a preliminary charting of the area, by selecting letters and poems from c1450-1580 by a range of women which speak of actual or fictional artifacts. Although these are predominantly from those categories of objects which especially appealed to women in the period, namely small devotional works, textiles and portraits, the primary aim will not be to argue for a specifically feminine taste influenced by social and cultural factors. Rather, the paper will try to place women’s writing within the context of a developing critical language for discussing the art of which at least some women could be aware. Three broad phases will be identified within this evolving discourse.