Gender and Art

Paper Summary:

McClary brings the idea that during the early nineteenth century, concepts such as identity and masculinity were being newly defined, with art being one of the defining processes. This paper introduces some examples from art of this period, looking at the commentary of McClary to illustrate this theory. According to the paper, it is difficult for readers and listeners to separate the biographical details of the artist from the work.

From the Paper:

"Schubert, on the other hand, was not a well-known composer in his own time. By the time his work became open to criticism, Beethoven's work so dominated the critical mind as the epitome of German manhood that critical response to Schubert's work was labeled feminine. If Beethoven's directness, violence, and ferocity in his music was male, surely Schubert's flexibility and lack of tonal anchoring, engendering sympathy and attraction, were female. At least, this was the way critics of the period viewed the difference."

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