Women in Art

Paper Summary:

The paper compares the paintings "Pocahontas" by Simon van de Passe and "'Liberty Displaying the Arts and Science" by Samuel Jennings in order to illustrate how the two artists portray the women of America. The paper shows how these two works mirror how American women were devalued in society, and whose most important job was marriage and motherhood, with little else to fulfill or nurture them. The paper points out that both women are depicted in detail, but the detail of their surroundings is more important. The paper explains that this mirrors the status of women who were of lesser importance than their families and husbands.

From the Paper:

"Both of these paintings depict American women, but at very different times in history. Van de Passe's work was painted from the real Pocahontas in 1616, while Jennings' work was painted in 1792, after America won her independence from Great Britain. Thus, the style and message of the two painting vary greatly, but they hold some commonalities, as well. The first depicts a Native American woman who denies her own culture in an attempt to become "civilized," while the other celebrates emancipation and freedom. How the artists view these two different American women is very interesting and representative of American history at the time they were painted."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bjelajac, David. American Art, A Cultural History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Peterson Education, 2003.

More papers on Women in Art:

• Essay # 24342 : "Representations of Women in Art"
• Comparison Essay # 7191 : "Disease and Beautiful Women in Art"
• Essay # 137980 : "Images of Women in Visual Media"

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