Both John Pope-Hennessy's The Portrait in the Renaissance and Patricia Simons's Women in Frames: The Gaze, the Eye, the Profile in Renaissance Portraiture discuss the ways in which portraiture during the Quattrocento was used to inform the public. Portraiture during this time was used to inform and educate the public, establishing both political and social standing. Simons responds to Pope-Hennessy's article with a strong argument: portraits of women had different connotations than those of men. Pope-Hennessy sets the stage for this argument, giving the reader a comprehensive history of portraiture during this time. Although comprehensive, Pope-Hennessy barely skims over women portraiture. Whereas Simons's delves deeper, giving a more critical analysis between the representation of men versus women.
Pope-Hennessy takes the reader through the emergence of portraiture to the height during the Renaissance. In his thesis, he asserts that portraits were a symbol of power, both historically and politically. Portraiture paintings meshed together the past and the present, the living and the dead. It even went as far as to place Renaissance men alongside biblical figures. Pope-Hennessy sites a fresco by Masaccio in which Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, Lorenzo Ridolfi, Bartolomeo Valori, Niccolò da Uzzano, Brunelleschi and Donatello were all gathered together at the Piazza del Carmine (Pope-Hennessy, 5.) Although not historically correct and highly unlikely, the joining of these influential and powerful people into one painting solidifies the importance of marking history. Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi places Cosimo il Vecchio and Piero de' Medici, both deceased, with Lorenzo de' Medici and Guiliano de' Medici, both still alive at the time (Pope-Hennesy, 7,8.) Masaccio's Trinity fresco, marking the grave of Lorenzo Lenzi, places the patron as witness to the Crucifixion of Christ. These examples solidify each patrons sense of civic duty, faith and more importantly, place in history. Pope-Hennessy goes on to discuss how portraiture evolved from collective painting to the painting of patrons in a singular setting. Predominantly there were two types: profile portraits and three-quarter portraits. Inarguably more difficult to render, three-quarter portraits allowed for character and depth, something which the side-profile did not. Botticelli's self-portrait in the Adoration of the Magi is a perfect example of how naturalism can be achieved. Profile portraits during this time were very straight forward, serving more as a representation of power (or lack thereof as Simons would argue) and social standing. Decoration played an important role in translating this to the viewer. Domenico Ghirlandaio's Giovanna degli Albizzi is an example of how the side profile falls flat in comparison to a three-quarter view. Although there is great decoration, the humanism is lost on Giovanna. Pope-Hennessey would contribute this flatness to the function of the profile portrait instead of the gender politics at play. Simon's article confronts this gender divide. Patricia Simons's article does not concern itself with the origins of portraiture in Renaissance Italy and instead jumps right into discussing how portraits of females during the Quattrocento need to be viewed as constructions of gender conventions, not as natural, neutral images (Simons, 40.) Mentioning Pope-Hennessy's survey of Renaissance portraiture, Simons's points out that failure to make gender distinctions was critical (Simons, 40.) Although both authors agree on the decorative nature of side profile portraits, Simons's argues that this had different connotations for females versus males. As a woman myself, …show more content…
As addressed in the beginning of her argument, Simons acknowledges that art historians have been slow to discuss the differences between men and women during the Renaissance (Simons, 40.) Taking into consideration the gender politics at play during the Renaissance, it gives female portraiture a whole new meaning. When compared to their male counter parts, the gaze of the female subject does not meet that of the viewer, unlike portraits of male. The side profile shifts from simply an artistic choice to one of suppression and isolation. What sold me on Simons's thesis was, not only her understanding of the patriarchal systems in play during the Renaissance, but her comparison of literature and portraiture. Liberally written about, the female gaze had the power to destroy men, piercing them and turning them to stone. Yet, when painted, their eyes are averted, submissive and
Pope-Hennessy takes the reader through the emergence of portraiture to the height during the Renaissance. In his thesis, he asserts that portraits were a symbol of power, both historically and politically. Portraiture paintings meshed together the past and the present, the living and the dead. It even went as far as to place Renaissance men alongside biblical figures. Pope-Hennessy sites a fresco by Masaccio in which Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici, Lorenzo Ridolfi, Bartolomeo Valori, Niccolò da Uzzano, Brunelleschi and Donatello were all gathered together at the Piazza del Carmine (Pope-Hennessy, 5.) Although not historically correct and highly unlikely, the joining of these influential and powerful people into one painting solidifies the importance of marking history. Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi places Cosimo il Vecchio and Piero de' Medici, both deceased, with Lorenzo de' Medici and Guiliano de' Medici, both still alive at the time (Pope-Hennesy, 7,8.) Masaccio's Trinity fresco, marking the grave of Lorenzo Lenzi, places the patron as witness to the Crucifixion of Christ. These examples solidify each patrons sense of civic duty, faith and more importantly, place in history. Pope-Hennessy goes on to discuss how portraiture evolved from collective painting to the painting of patrons in a singular setting. Predominantly there were two types: profile portraits and three-quarter portraits. Inarguably more difficult to render, three-quarter portraits allowed for character and depth, something which the side-profile did not. Botticelli's self-portrait in the Adoration of the Magi is a perfect example of how naturalism can be achieved. Profile portraits during this time were very straight forward, serving more as a representation of power (or lack thereof as Simons would argue) and social standing. Decoration played an important role in translating this to the viewer. Domenico Ghirlandaio's Giovanna degli Albizzi is an example of how the side profile falls flat in comparison to a three-quarter view. Although there is great decoration, the humanism is lost on Giovanna. Pope-Hennessey would contribute this flatness to the function of the profile portrait instead of the gender politics at play. Simon's article confronts this gender divide. Patricia Simons's article does not concern itself with the origins of portraiture in Renaissance Italy and instead jumps right into discussing how portraits of females during the Quattrocento need to be viewed as constructions of gender conventions, not as natural, neutral images (Simons, 40.) Mentioning Pope-Hennessy's survey of Renaissance portraiture, Simons's points out that failure to make gender distinctions was critical (Simons, 40.) Although both authors agree on the decorative nature of side profile portraits, Simons's argues that this had different connotations for females versus males. As a woman myself, …show more content…
As addressed in the beginning of her argument, Simons acknowledges that art historians have been slow to discuss the differences between men and women during the Renaissance (Simons, 40.) Taking into consideration the gender politics at play during the Renaissance, it gives female portraiture a whole new meaning. When compared to their male counter parts, the gaze of the female subject does not meet that of the viewer, unlike portraits of male. The side profile shifts from simply an artistic choice to one of suppression and isolation. What sold me on Simons's thesis was, not only her understanding of the patriarchal systems in play during the Renaissance, but her comparison of literature and portraiture. Liberally written about, the female gaze had the power to destroy men, piercing them and turning them to stone. Yet, when painted, their eyes are averted, submissive and