The Renaissance Period was a time of rediscovery of classical art and ideals of Ancient Greece and Rome. The focus turned to the individual, as opposed to the overall anonymity typical of the Middle Ages. The importance of nature and physical world combined with the rekindled interest in the individual paved the way for the birth of humanism. Pregnant women were seen as a symbol of natural processes of creation and destruction, of endless life cycles, worthy of admiration. When comparing the Renaissance attitude with the modern viewpoint, it is clear that the differences are significant.
Renaissance Attitude to the Pregnant Female Body
The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, has become a female archetype over the years. Garrard and Broude elaborate on this phenomenon by providing several interpretations offered by art critics, art historians, as well as other experts (67). The author refers to the interpretation by Kenneth Clarke, wherein he links the female figure of Mona Lisa to the landscape in the background (Garrard and Broude 67). Combined with the paysage behind her, Gioconda becomes a symbolic reference to the natural processes of life. According to this interpretation, the female image is intertwined with the powers of nature, pertaining to the creative and destructive processes. Garrard and Broude also refer to the opinion aired by Kenneth D. Keele, who saw several signs of an advanced stage of pregnancy in Leonardo’s Gioconda (68). Thus, he considered Mona Lisa to be a symbol of the origin of life, and the female image as a symbolic source of natural powers of creation and destruction.
The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck, the Flemish artist, is an allegorical piece, depicting a wealthy couple in a home setting. Although the pregnancy of the female figure in this painting is widely disputed, there are various symbolic references to the ideas of childbirth and fertility in the background. The image of St. Margaret, the saint of childbirth, over the marriage bed, symbolizes the idea of fertility and a healthy family (“The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck” par. 7).
Even though the woman’s protruding abdomen is often attributed to the fashion at the time, the symbolic dimension of the van Eyck’s piece hints at the idea of pregnancy and childbirth. According to Soraya, even if the woman was not actually pregnant, the idea was crucial for the Renaissance artists to convey (par. 7). Therefore, it means that the aspect of fertility was of utmost importance in the Renaissance period, and the image of a pregnant female body was essential, as it was employed to illustrate the nature of humanity.
Raphael’s La Donna Gravida depicts a pregnant woman, touching the protruding abdomen with her hand as if drawing our attention to her condition. The red and black colors of her clothing indicate that she is of noble descent. Raphael’s image of a female pregnant body seems to aim at combining the idea of fertility and nobility. The look on the woman’s face is calm, peaceful, and rather serene. The image depicted by Raphael seems harmonious and natural, full of serenity and tranquility.
These interpretations of the Mona Lisa, the Arnolfini Portrait, and La Donna Gravida provide invaluable insights into our understanding of the Renaissance attitude towards an image of female pregnant body. A pregnant woman for the Renaissance artists was a symbol of natural processes, an essential part of human condition, and a link to the powers of creation and destruction. A female pregnant body is often depicted with peaceful, distinguished features, indicating the admiration artists felt for the female fertility.
Comparison with the Modern Perception
Compared to the Renaissance depiction of the female pregnant body, modern images are rather different. Due to the fashion trends and the expectations of society, women are put under a great deal of pressure regarding their body. While the Renaissance paintings show that a pregnant woman is admired and cherished, modern media and fashion feed the society the image of an ideal woman, which is far from the notion of fertility. Nowadays, pregnancy is a concern for women, as due to this change, their body might never look the same, and, more importantly, might not adhere to the modern beauty standards determined by media and high fashion.
Compared to the Renaissance attitude towards pregnancy, where a pregnant woman is seen as an astonishing phenomenon, symbolizing the origin of life, and worthy of admiration, modern image of a pregnant woman seems rather mundane, or even unappealing. The symbol of life has disappeared from this image, making way for the idea of eternal youth and beauty valued above everything else. Thus, a conclusion may be drawn: perhaps the principal difference between the Renaissance attitude towards pregnancy and its modern analogy lies in the temporal aspect. Renaissance artists depicted pregnant woman with admiration, as this condition symbolized the idea of ever changing nature of things, of endless cycles of natural processes, and the immense powers of nature. Nowadays, however, pregnancy is seen as an inconvenience. Youth and eternal beauty, unhindered by ageing and other natural life processes are top priorities. The notion of pregnancy cannot be held in high regard in such a context, as it is symbolic of change, which is not appreciated in the modern society.
Conclusion
Throughout the ages, the image of a female pregnant body has changed a great deal. Female fertility, seen in Renaissance as the origin of life, the symbol of incredible powers of nature, transformed into an inconvenience, hindering the lives of women in modern society. The cycles of natural phenomena, an endless process of change, including ageing, were the sources of inspiration. However, modern attitude towards pregnancy differs from the Renaissance perception. The admiration of the process of change gave way to the ongoing efforts to halt the ageing process and remain young and unchanging throughout our increasingly long lives.
Works Cited
Da Vinci, Leonardo. The Mona Lisa. 1503-1506, oil on wood panel, Louvre Museum, Paris.
Garrard, Mary D., and Norma Broude. The Expanding Discours: Feminism and Art History. New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 1992. Print.
Raphael. La Donna Gravida. 1505-1506, oil on panel, Palazzo Pitti, Florence.
Soraya, Jane Kashfi. Six Steps to Decoding The Arnolfini Portrait. 2016. Web.
Van Eyck, Jan. The Arnolfini Portrait. 1434, oil on oak panel, National Gallery, London.