The Power of the Woman
I stood outside the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, trying to make sense of the figures before me. Jet lag no longer clouded my mind as my Italian adventures had begun a week prior to the program start date. Stumbling down ancient streets, blindly admiring the creations of legendary artists, and examining remnants of the past with their historical context and contemporary implications a mystery to me only intensified my anticipation for the immersion and understanding that I hoped this program would provide. Finally, I had made it to Florence, what I assumed would be the artistic highlight of the coming two weeks. I gazed around the Piazza della Signoria and at all turns was met with great marble men staring down at me, the exception being what was before me. The bronze exterior and relative smallness of the figures are in stark contrast to the dramatics, for example, of the life-size replica of Michelangelo’s David found guarding the entrance to the building. From far away, this sculpture might be mistaken as modest and unassuming, but upon further inspection is provocative, even dominating.
Judith and Holofernes.
This biblical story is retold by Donatello through seemingly moving metal. Judith stands before Holofernes, having seduced and defeated the Syrian general who besieged her city. The head of Holofernes sits atop his shoulders at an unnatural angle, indicating that his head is not atop his shoulders at all but being upheld by Judith as she delivers a second decapitating blow. One foot is poignantly placed on the general’s groin, the other pinning his hand to the ground. In all cases, the woman dominates the scene, and the man.
This mid-15th century sculpture is exemplary of the naturalism and storytelling that is characteristic of the Renaissance period in which Donatello thrived and of the narratives of the New Jerusalem Bible from which many Renaissance artists drew their inspiration. More than that, this work unapologetically brings to the foreground an essential theme in some Renaissance art: the power of the woman.
Judith and Holofernes sits in what was arguably the most politically charged place in the city of Florence at the time of its creation: the town hall. With its presence, a declaration was and is still being made. The role of women in the Italian Renaissance was one of great trial, piety, compliance, and dependence. Women exercised virtually no rights except for what was granted to them based on their various relationships with men. Yet, the strength of the woman permeates not only Italian art but also the whole of Italian culture and society. Everywhere I looked, I saw more of them.
In Florence, Donatello’s wooden Penitent Magdalene stands in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo as a testament to the role she played in establishing and leading the early Christian church. The sculpture shows that though her beauty and physical health has withered, her spirituality flourishes and she inspires transformation through radicalism. Similarly, Saint Catherine of Siena lived as the first bride of Christ, carving herself a place in the church and the world. Though she was initially met with much opposition, she was posthumously canonized, becoming so revered that her severed head was retrieved from Rome and taken back to her birth city as a powerful relic. Even in our home base of Arezzo, frescos in the Basilica of San Francesco depict Saint Helena, the Christian mother of Constantine who was the primary reason that Christian practices became legal outside of the walls of Rome.
In The Italians, author John Hooper describes the evolution of women’s lifeways in Italy as “spells of rapid progress alternating with long periods of stagnation,” recalling the story of nineteen-year-old Clorinda Menguzzato. Clorinda fought alongside Italian soldiers in World War II. She was caught by the Germans and tortured but refused to surrender, declaring, “When I can no longer bear your torture, I’ll sever my tongue with my teeth so as not to speak.” She died a hero shortly thereafter. From the birth of Rome to the artistic subjects of the Renaissance, to venerable Saints, to warriors, Italy has a rich and expansive history of feminine power. It permeates the cobblestone streets, the brick walls, and the new additions to ancient cities. The presence of these women can be felt and their contributions can be seen everywhere.
