Reply To: Women in Art

[Tamara Toy]

In Etruscan art, it seems that women are seen more on a closer social level with men. Both the “Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai’ and “The Cerveteri Sarcophagus’ show women on a similar level as the men, instead of being behind or lower than men as we have seen previously. As well, there are displays of affection which we haven’t seen previously. Even with the “Capitoline She-Wolf’ there is a sense of empowerment. Instead of just being a representation of fertility, she is nursing the sons of a god. While this is still in some manner about fertility and maternal care, there is a different feel to it, I think because this representation of a female is another species that is choosing to nurse the human boys. There is a feeling of female power in this to me. As well, her stance isn’t one of servitude or submission but of pride and fierceness. I think this speaks of how the female form is looked at differently, instead of being subservient to men, women can be just as important and strong.