Women and Spirituality in the Essay

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This is furthered by the fact that the daughter closest to the infant, who perches on her mother's lap, holds that baby's hand, implying an ascent to motherhood. Behind the family, the picture window showing grand gardens and mansion details implies wealth. Indeed, the smooth texture and use of dark colors further suggests royalty. While both Drurer's and van Ceulen's portraits use light and dark and positioning as symbols, then, Druer's work is focused on the Bibles -- spirituality -- while van Ceulen's painting is quite clearly focused on the earth -- economics, royalty, inheritance, and family.

The symbolism contained in these paintings is extremely relevant to another symbolic work out of the late Renaissance, Lanyer's "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women." In this work, Lanyer argues that women should not be held wholly responsible for Adam's actions in the Garden of Eden -- where women were rumored to have obtained their low position. Instead, Lanyer writes, "And then to lay the fault on Patience' back, / That we (poor women) must endure it all; / We know right well he did discretion lack" (793-795). Thus, Lanyer continues to argue that man had a higher responsibility, and that women sought knowledge, "which he took / From Eve's fair hand" (808).

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The poem is closely related to the treatment of women and spirituality in these two paintings. In the first, Drurer's, women are not even present, although there were many women connected with Jesus whom he trusted. However, spirituality is praised in this painting using light and shadow symbolism, which is similar to the treatment of spirituality in Lanyer's poem. Despite the fact the poem criticizes God's decision to punish the women the harshest, it still upholds God as the utmost spiritual being, worthy of praise. In van Ceulen's work, symbolism clearly places women on the inferior side of man -- his left side -- destined to bear daughters that would continue to be tasked with childrearing, not landowning, which was the equivalent of high status in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. Thus, through a detailed look at the symbolism contained in these Middle Ages and Renaissance era works, it is clear to see that themes -- especially those of holiness and the treatment of women -- transcended time periods.

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