ABSTRACT Catholic-Reformation Painters of the Baroque: A Study on Why Women in Bologna Mikaila B. Schmidt Director: Dr. Heidi J. Hornik This thesis examines the unprecedented rise in female artists in Bologna during the Baroque period. It argues that women in Bologna found success during the 17th century primarily due to their revival of the maniera devota style. After the decisions made at the Council of Trent in 1565, religious art was required to reflect the newly unified Catholic Church as well as inspire a deeper sense of religious devotion and connection to faith. Artists such as Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi solidified the emotional intensity of this period through dramatic contrast and religious symbolism. Influenced by Archbishop Paleotti, painters Guido Reni and the Carracci painters, Lavinia Fontana, and Elisabetta Sirani combine naturalism and science in a way that inspires devotion and introspection. While many factors contributed to female prosperity, the religious intensity and emotional connections they establish with the viewer allowed for their popularity in Bologna and across Italy to grow, paving the way for future success by later female painters. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: __________________________________________Found Heidi f Dr. Heidi J. Hornik, Professor of Art History APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM: __________________________________________ Dr. Andrew Wisely, Interim Director DATE: ___April______________________26,202L CATHOLIC-REFORMATION PAINTERS OF THE BAROQUE: A STUDY ON WHY WOMEN IN BOLOGNA A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Mikaila B. Schmidt Waco, Texas May 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements . iii Dedication. iv List of Illustrations . v Introduction . 1 Chapter One . 4 Chapter Two . 20 Chapter Three . 42 Bibliography . 65 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Anyone who knows the challenge that has confronted me knows that you cannot do it by yourself. There are many people for me to thank in the completion of my Honor’s Thesis. I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. Heidi J. Hornik, Professor and Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. The door to Dr. Hornik’s office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had questions about my research or writing. She has served as a model for female leadership and success. Her dedication to recording the history of art is an inspiration. Dr. Hornik consistently allowed this project to be my own work but steered me in the right direction whenever she thought I needed it. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Katie Larson of the Department of Art and Art History as the second reader of this thesis and Dr. Marcie Moehnke of the Biology Department as the third reader of this thesis. I am gratefully indebted to them both for their very valuable comments on this project. In addition to those mentioned above, I would like to show my appreciation to the Department of Art and Art History for the classes and opportunities it has provided me in my time at Baylor University. From multiple courses to the chance to speak at the Midwest Art History Society Conference, I am thankful for the support and encouragement of the department. I would especially like to express my gratitude for being named the Outstanding Student in Art History in 2021. My time at Baylor would not have been the same without the Hooper-Schaffer building and the people in it. To my University Scholars advisor, Charmaine Dull, thank you for your continued belief in my ability to succeed. In every up and down you remained constant in your support. Thank you for pushing me to pursue both science and art, to follow my passions, and for being a source of confidence. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my family for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. To my parents and my sisters – it would be an understatement to say that we have experienced some highs and lows in the past two years, yet every time I was ready to quit, you did not let me, and I am forever grateful. Specifically, to my mom and dad – thank you for the support and encouragement you have provided me for many years and for everything you did to make my time at Baylor possible. This thesis stands as a testament to your unconditional love and encouragement. Thank you. Mikaila Schmidt iii To the curious little girl at the art museum. iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1.1: Rosso Fiorentino, Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, 1515, Mixed technique on poplar wood, 101.2 x 77.5 cm, Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 1.2: Rosso Fiorentino, Virgin and Child with Saints, 1518, Oil on panel, 172 x 141 cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 1.3: Rosso Fiorentino, Pietà, c. 1524-27, Oil on canvas, 133.4 x 104.1 cm, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 1.4: Caravaggio, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, c. 1601-1602, Oil on canvas, 42 x 57 ½. inches, Neues Palast, Potsdam, Germany. (Used with permission from Artstor) Figure 1.5: Francesco Salviati, Doubting Thomas, c. 1547, Oil on canvas, 275 x 234 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France. (Used with permission from Artstor) Figure 2.1: Caravaggio, The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1603, Oil on canvas, 104 x 135 cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.2: Caravaggio, The Conversion of Saint Paul, 1600-1601, Oil on canvas, 230 x 175 cm, Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome, Italy. (Used with permission from Artstor) Figure 2.3: Annibale Carracci, Madonna Enthroned with Saint Matthew, 1588, Oil on canvas, 384 x 255 cm, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Germany. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.4: Lodovico Carracci, Saint Sebastian Thrown into the Cloaca Maxima, 1612, Oil on canvas, 163.5 x 232.4 cm, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.5: Guido Reni, Christ with the Crown of Thorns, Oil on poplar wood, 49 x 37 cm, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, Germany. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.6: Guercino, The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1654-55, Oil on canvas, 155.6 x 146.1 cm, Timken Museum of Art, San Diego, California, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.7: Guercino, Return of the Prodigal, 1627-1629, Oil on canvas, 125 x 163 cm, Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy. (Used with permission from Artstor) v Figure 2.8: Artemisia Gentileschi, Esther Before Ahasuerus, 1628-1630, Oil on canvas, 208.3 x 273.7 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 2.9: Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes, c.1623-1625, Oil on canvas, 187.2 x 142 cm, Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 3.1: Caterina Vigri, St. Ursula and Her Maidens, c. 1456, Oil on panel. (Used with permission from Artstor) Figure 3.2: Properzia de’ Rossi, Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, 1520s, Marble, Museo de San Pietro, Bologna, Italy. (Used with permission from Web Gallery of Art) Figure 3.3: Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Costanza Alidosi, ca. 1595, Oil on canvas, 62 x 47 3/8 in., The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, United States of American. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 3.4: Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Ginevra Aldrovandi Hercolani, 1595, Oil on canvas, 114.62 x 94.62 cm, Walter’s Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 3.5: Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Antonietta Gonzalez, 1595, Oil on canvas, Château de Blois, France. (Used with permission from WikiArt) Figure 3.6: Lavinia Fontana, St. Francis Adoring the Crucifix, 1580, Oil on canvas, 50 x 37 cm, Private Collection. (Used from Marlene Misiuk, La Donna e La Maniera Devota: Lavinia Fontana, Sacred Imagery and the Natural Sciences in Sixteenth-Century Bologna, 105.) Figure 3.7: Lavinia Fontana, Stigmatization of St. Francis, 1579, Oil on canvas, 63 x 75 cm, Seminary of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. (Used with permission from Artstor) Figure 3.8: Elisabetta Sirani, Virgin Addolorata with the Symbols of the Passion, 1657, Oil on copper, Regional Museum Complex of Emilia Romagna- National Art Gallery of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 3.9: Elisabetta Sirani, Judith Showing the Head of Holofernes to the Israelites, 1658, Oil on canvas, 236.5 x 183 cm, Burghley House Gallery, Stamford, England. (Used with permission from museum website) Figure 3.10: Lavinia Fontana, Judith and Holofernes, 1600, Oil on canvas, 130 x 110 cm, Museo Davia Bargellini, Bologna, Italy. (Used with permission from Web Gallery of Art) vi Figure 3.11: Elisabetta Sirani, Baptism of Christ, 1658, Oil on canvas, 400 x 500 cm, San Girolamo della Certosa, Bologna, Italy. (Used from J. Rubinski, Elisabetta Sirani’s: Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 57.) vii INTRODUCTION Beginning with Martin Luther in 1517, the Protestant Reformation brought to light concerns within the Catholic Church. Forced to unify the Catholic faith and make changes in response to accusations from Protestants, the Church called the Council of Trent in 1545.