Papers by Alexandra Reißer
'Miracolo della reliquia della Croce in campo San Lio', 2018
This essay will examine women's position in Venetian society in 15 th / 16 th century, based on t... more This essay will examine women's position in Venetian society in 15 th / 16 th century, based on the painting by Giovanni Mansueti 'Miracolo della reliquia della Croce in campo San Lio'. The Confraternity of the 'Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista' in Venice commissioned the most respected Venetian painters of the period to paint nine canvases for their headquarter, showing the Miracles of the Holy Cross. These miracles were performed by a fragment of wood, which reportedly descent from the holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This fragment had been donated to the brotherhood in 1369. It soon became an object of great admiration and the symbol of the 'Scuola', which was one of the most important and wealthy confraternities in Venice. Mansueti's painting shows the funeral of one of the members of the confraternity. During his life, this member did not believe in the relics of the holy cross, and so when the fragment was taken to the square in front of the church, it became so heavy that nobody could carry it inside. 1 The first subject that will be discussed is the women inside the palazzi. The women in the windows are probably noble-women who are watching the religious ceremony, likely because they are not allowed to take part in it. Their social status can't be determined because both-noble-women and high-class prostitutes-were dressed the same way at this time. According to a letter, written by the milanese priest Pietro Casola, who came to Venice on his way to Jerusalem, venetian women were known for their self-portrayal and the display of their naked necks and wide décolletés. 2 A good example is the well-dressed woman on the left side of the painting, who's glancing from the window with the shutter. Due to her special position in the painting, several questions are raised, such as: why does the painter give the shutter so much space?-Is she hiding?-And if so, why?-Why did the painter decide to paint her in the first place? The shutter could symbolize the moment of voyeurism in the whole work of art. 'To see' and 'being seen' is one of the main topics in this painting. The figures on the highest floors are most likely representatives of the working class, such as servants or cooks. The differences between the female workers and the others are quite visible: simpler dresses, no jewellery, and moving gestures. Focusing on the women outdoors, it is notable that there are two different positions; the three women painted in the lower part, and the single woman in the right middle part. The three women in the front are the only ones who are pictured from their backs. Their kneeling position could either indicate a praying gesture to the holy cross, or a symbolic representation of women´s lower rank in Venetian Renaissance society. Two of these women wear inconspicuous clothes with headgear, while the left one with the beautiful haircut, wears a precious dress and jewellery. Their representation can be understood as erotic, especially when considering the assumable circumstance regarding the original location of the painting. Since women were not allowed to be members of théScuola Grande´, it is most likely that only male eyes could look at the painting and see the naked neck. But this constellation can´t garenty their social status, and so the question of their social rank remains un-answered.
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Papers by Alexandra Reißer