The study of art has been led by men, and has looked at how men commissioned paintings from other men. From this we might conclude that women had no impact on the Italian Renaissance. However, this is clearly not the case.

Male attitudes to women can be interpreted through their use of women as subjects for paintings, the basis for the first of three talks.

In the second we will consider female patrons and look at how art commissioned by women differs from that commissioned by men. Finally, we will look at female artists, exploring the reasons why they became able to practise.

Image above: Detail from Sandro Botticelli: Venus and Mars, about 1485