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I definitely noticed that women were more prevalent in the Etruscan wing than previously. Previously, we had discussed art which displayed women as symbols of fertility and abundance, or later art which depicted women in very limited formal settings and poses. In Hellenistic art, we see art of younger and older women in a variety of poses, settings, and expressions appear. Then, in Etruscan art, we see art which is created for women or of women more frequently. For example, we see the tomb of an Etruscan woman who was buried with jewelry, incense, and thirty mourning figures around her. It would follow that Etruscan women seemed to have more prominence in Etruscan society than that which we have studied previously, a fascinating shift.
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Hey Maggie,
I couldn’t agree more. The shift away from women being a constant symbol for fertility was undeniably for the best. Even just the differences between Hellenistic and Etruscan depictions of women is very interesting, as there wasn’t much time between them (as I understand it). Comparing the differences of Etruscan art and ideals to that of Classical Greek art is even more fascinating, as that is when the prevalent use of symbolic women was present. It makes me wonder what happened during those time periods that made us see such a drastic shift.
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This is such an interesting shift! This is the first time we see intimacy being displayed between a husband and wife. Not only that, but it said the Greek and Latin cultures even saw such displays as offensive. The women were clearly treated different in the Etruscan culture, the aren’t being shown as sitting lower than the men, they are shown on equal platforms; as we see in the Cerveteri Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai, there is a sense of intimacy being shown between the man and woman. This indicates women were more privileged in this society, which means they probably enjoyed more freedom as well. They were able to participate in banquets, funerary rites, rituals, and other parts of public life. It is emotionally moving to see the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai was commissioned by the couple to show an eternal loving embrace. In the Cerverteri Sarcophagus the way the couple are draped around each other while at a banquet shows a public display of affection. This is absolutely unique to any other art work that we have looked at, it is a really interesting change.
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Re: Kaitlyn
So true! It really was a fascinating change in the perception of women. I also found the sarcophagus where the husband and wife were embracing to be rather noteworthy. The fact that they could be shown so intimately together was a bit of a shock. It makes me wonder why this culture was do different from its predecessors and neighbors in this respect.
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There does seem to be a dramatic shift in the position that women played in Etruscan society that we certainly haven’t seen up until this point. In Egyptian art, women were generally depicted as smaller than their husbands, slightly behind them, or beneath them. Until Etruscan art, I don’t recall there being much affection displayed or celebrated between husbands and wives. While there was often an emphasis on the after life in most of the cultures we have studied, those cultures didn’t feel the need to express their desire to be close with their spouses in the after life. But, we see at Cerveteri Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai, representations of husbands and wives laying close and lovingly embracing each other. These images show a sort of balance and mutual respect between the man and the woman as well as a clear desire to remain in the afterlife together. The husbands do not seem to Lord over their wives. There is a strong sense of love and cheering in these depictions, which certainly doesn’t seem to have been the norm leading up to this point! This is a great shift for women, and I am sure the change in the status of women played a very massively positive role in the functioning of the rest of society.
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Aubri – I completely agree with you! Women seem to be depicted as more equal and of significant emotional worth to men. Instead of being a “pretty figure” in the background, women are shown as important to men. There is definitely more affection and caring, like you said, in the depictions of women.
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Aubri, there definitely didn’t seem to be any physical affection in previous cultures’ artwork. It kind of seems like the Etruscans didn’t want to be private about their relationships and may have placed a lot more value in being shown in a loving or more equal manner with each other. I like the idea that they want to remain together in the afterlife — definitely shows their devotion to one another and places them on the same level as each other.
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Aubri, I like the point you made about the husband and wife wanting to remain together in the afterlife. This is definitely unique, considering in Egyptian culture the married couples were separated (valley of the kings, valley of the queens). You also pointed out how the change in status of women possibly played a positive role in the society function, we know that Greek and Latin cultures considered such displays of affection and equal status as offensive, I wonder why the culture here was so different in their views on women. Any theories?
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Unlike Roman and Greek cultures, men and women often dined and socialized together in the Etruscan Period. This is most clearly displayed by the Cerveteri Sarcophagus, which depicts a man and a woman reclining together, as was common at banquets of the time. Another prime example of women’s elevated place in society is evident in the Sarcophagus of Latin Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai, where a husband and wife are depicted embracing each other under the cover of a sheet. The fact that both were present on the sarcophagus and depicted as equals (as shown by their equivalent size and placement in the sculpture) is significant in the Etruscan culture’s view of women.
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Laura – yes, women are definitely displayed much differently in apparent appearances such as size and placement. But the cultural significance that you are hinting at with the woman laying alongside her man at a banquet or the man and woman embracing each other under the sheet also speaks loudly to the role of a woman in the society of then. She was not in the back anymore, she was besides her man.
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As I started to look into the Etruscan wing I could see various differences arise on the role of women in Etruscan society. In the earlier eras and wings we have covered women were often seen below or smaller than men to make the men seem inferior. However, in the Etruscan society we see women are more equal and are the same size or sitting at equal heights of men. In past wings we can see the importance of the afterlife, however they were always buried alone. In the Etruscan society we saw men and women (who were said to often be husband and wife) buried together in the after life. I believe this shows a shift in importance of carrying on in the afterlife with loved ones/spouse. I thought this was a great shift for women and shows the culture that the Etruscan society
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RE: sjsaccomen
Hello sjsaccomen, your post is related to mine in a way. We both agreed that the Etruscan culture was a step in a new direction were men and women were about the same. You added that men and women used to be buried separately though and that this culture changed that. Husband and wife were now buried together. That was a great example to add to your post and I couldn’t agree with you more. That definitely signifies change.
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Looking at just the two sarcophagus that we have seen this week, the women in these are depicting slightly differently from previous art. I am considering Ancient Greek art, where women would be beside and slightly behind the rulers; or even in earlier Greek art, where the focus on women seemed to be more individual, and not in relation to a man. In these two artworks, the women are besides their men and the men are holding them. There seems to be more focus on the woman as an equal and emotionally significant to the man. This also shows a different side of men, instead of the heroes or strong conquerors, these are husbands who care for their wives. That is quite the remarkable contrast.
I even thought that it was interesting to see the Capitoline She-Wolf. This is such a maternal image. She is obviously feral, but the feeling I get from her is that she would defend her children to death. There also seems to be a strong leader in this motherly image, which speaks much for the expectations of a mother.
In short, I think that the role of the woman has shifted from a supportive figure in the background of men or a sensual figure that is decorative, to an equal and significant person to men. The role of women has shifted towards a maternal, caring, and loving figure.
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In Etruscan society, it seems that the role of women was very different from standard roles of women at the time. This is displayed in the information behind the Cerveteri Sarcophagus, where we learn that Greek and Latin authors saw the act of Etruscan men and women socializing together as offensive behavior. Additionally, it is outright stated that Etruscan women enjoyed a different and much more privileged status than their Greek and Roman counterparts. Based on that information, it is safe to say that women were much more individual in Etruscan culture and (most likely) had more agency. This is seen in the fact that women commissioned art, among other things.
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Lucas,
I found it to be really interesting how they thought of a men and women socializing together was seen as offensive behavior. Yet they still had a vast amount of men and women socializing and defying that social standard. The women in this time period really do have more of a privileged status and freedom. With glimpses of their fashion and comparing how the women and men both dressed you can see that it looked like women carried themselves a lot more.
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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.
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To Tamara Toy
I thought you used great examples of how women are being represented in broader roles. One thing I try to do when analyzing cultural material is avoid stating the cultures thoughts such as your example of women being subservient to men. In todays society that perspective would be used, unfortunately we don’t know if that’s how men and women viewed their status in the past. Men were typically at the forefront of conflicts protecting women and children. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that women preferred their status. We can recognize that women are being represented more through their art. Great ideas! -
I must disagree. in the statue of the Capitoline She-Wolf, she has no outward signs of being nurturing. It’s almost as if she just happened to be in the same place as some babies, and they stumbled upon her teats. It is possible that the Etruscans had a different idea of maternal power than I do, but this peice does not smack of feminine power to me.
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Many cultures had different views and roles for women that were influenced by multiple factors. Although we may not have much evidence to fully distinguish and compare between the Etruscan culture and their neighbors. Its cultural material suggests women have a higher status then the Greek and Romans. ‘The Cerveteri Sarcophagus’ dated 520 BCE depicts a man and woman reclined in a manor that was common for a banquet. It was typical for them to eat together like this. This differs from their Greek neighbors who found it inappropriate for men and women to converse in discussion. Typically cultural material and art styles between cultures blend faster than social behaviors. It’s also important to mention that we don’t know everything about this society or any due to time and lost context.
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RE Miranda
You made a really good point about the separation of men and women in Greek culture. There was certainly a level of intellectual conversation as well as social interaction that women were not welcomed to in previous Greek culture. But you are so right, while it does seem that women played a much more valued role in this culture, we really don’t know all the answers as we have lost so much from these cultures.
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In the Hellenistic art, we did start to see a lot more women in pieces and they were no longer just youthful women, they had aged women as well. In the Etruscan wing, we see even more depictions of women than we had previously, and they’re shown in ways that were seen as “offensive’ by Greeks. In the Cerveteri Sarcophagus, we saw a man and woman socializing with each other in a relaxed manner. We also see a huge difference between previous cultures and the Etruscan in the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai. This funerary piece seems to show a husband and wife in a much more intimate way that we haven’t been able to see previously. Generally, in the other cultures we’ve studied, women are always at least a step behind the men and they’re always shown as pretty rigid around each other. Rather than continuing to place men above or before women, we now see them as equal to one another where they can freely interact with each other.
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In other cultures they were often pictured with or buried with the possessions that they wanted to take into the afterlife. I think it is very significant that instead of worldly possessions, in the Cerveteri Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai we see what really matters to them, their wives and the love they felt for each other which is visible on their faces.
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It’s pretty clear that women in the Etruscan society were more respected than those in other cultures. In both the “Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai’ and “The Cerveteri Sarcophagus’ women are portrayed as being on the same level as men, which I don’t think had really been done in any other cultures. There is also the first portrayal of affection between a husband and wife, which I thought was really interesting because the Greeks found the idea of men and woman socializing together offensive.
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Re: ckocsis
I too, thought it was interesting to see the married couple and having them show any affection. I didn’t realize the Greeks didn’t like any affection though and wonder why the artists would show that if the society found it offensive. Maybe this particular artist was trying to think outside the box and go against societal norms just like we see in modern artists. -
ckosis, I like your points about both the “Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai’ and “The Cerveteri Sarcophagus” and their presentation of women on a more equal footing as well as see affection between a married couple. It was refreshing to see this after seeing such separation between the sexes in earlier art.
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Compared to what we have seen with the other cultures we have studied its as if the role of the women has become equal if not more respected in the art work. For example int eh Cerveteri Sarcophagus it is a sculpture of a husband an wife lounging on a a dinning couch. The wife is leaning against her husband and you can instantly see the happiness on both their faces and their hair is well done. As you step back and look closer at the wife you can see that she is well dressed and has nice pointed shoes on which helps depict the fashion of the women in the Etruscan time period. Where as when you gave upon the husband you see he is barefoot and has what looks like he has clothing that may not be as elegant as his wife’s. It also shows that he is barefoot, I think this shows some symbolic meaning of how much he cherished his wife and wanted the best he could give her in my opinion.
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Aalieyah, I like your interpretation of the man being barefoot in that piece. It’s an interesting idea. Maybe the man wearing less elegant clothes could be a sign of how he works to give her the chance or option to have elegant pieces for herself? The women definitely did seem to have a lot more fashionable choices in the Etruscan time period than any others.
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Etruscan society seems to greatly differ from previous societies in how there is an almost equality seen among the men and women. Many of the sculptures such as “Sarcophagus of the Spouses“ include both male and female and put the women in the forefront. There hasn’t been much equality in art shown in these various culture’s, so it is a welcome site. The female god’s sculptures were the few strong female roles in a lot of the previous art we’ve seen. Reading that Etruscan women were allowed in society and at public events must have made for a hopefully better life for these ancient women than previous cultures.
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In Etruscan society, we see women enjoying a higher, more equal position than that of the previous cultures we have studied. Greek and Romans weren’t often depicted in such intimate relaxed poses such as the Etruscan sarcophagi (Both the Cerveteri and Larth Tetnies & Thanchvil Tarnai) with their female counterparts. To display such intimacy shows us that the women were seen equal enough to be displayed without making them lesser than the men; which we have seen in Egyptian artworks and greek artworks. It’s actually quite lovely to see this shift in paradigm. It’s funny yet not at all surprising that Latin society found this display inappropriate and offensive.
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Jessi, I appreciate your point of view and as a father of daughters and a husband to my wife, I’m reminded just how much society and art defines the roles of men and woman. It is refreshing to see a more equal and joyful representation of this in Etruscan art. It is important for all of us to work towards equal wages, equal access and equality in our cultures. A slight editorial on International Woman’s Day 2019.
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I think that it is interesting prior to the Etruscans the depiction of women is as fertility figures, goddesses, servants, and slaves but rarely as equals to men. Women were seemingly cast to a cultural role above or below there male counterparts. but almost never as an equal. The Greeks continued this concept with “symposiums’ a meeting of males and servants to discuss life with the copious consumption of alcohol. Women were excluded from these events. We can only speculate as to what the reasoning was.
At the same time, the Etruscans were developing a more equal and intimate social structure between men and woman. They left only their artwork, retrieved from tombs and did not provide us with a written record of their lives. The terracotta statue, Sarcophagus of the Spouses, from 509BCE depicts this relationship well. The woman is held close in the arms of a man, reclining on a couch while attending a banquet in the afterlife. They are positioned in a manner that there is no bias created because of size or positioning of the man over the woman. It appears they are enjoying their time together in a more equal status -
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From context, it seems fairly evident that in Etruscan culture, men and women – or at the very least, husbands and wives – were treated as approximate equals. This contrasts greatly with many previous cultures we have studied where women were treated as a lower caste, had less legal protections, and the fact that in some cases women did not even qualify as citizens. Etruscan art showing men and women engaging in activities together as equals supports this, as does the fact that women are credited for commissioning and gifting artwork. This implies that these women were financially independent, or financially stable and trusted enough by their spouses to commission artwork from others.
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As was mentioned in the note featured in the Cerveteri Sarcophagus page, Greek and Latin people found men and women socializing together as offensive, but there are many examples of men and women socializing and embracing in Etruscan art. In the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai, they are pictured in bed together naked which I am sure Greek and Latin scholars would have very much frowned upon. In the art of other civilizations, men were shown as a higher social status than women, but in the Etruscan art, they are viewed as equals in the artists eyes and viewed as having a relationship that could go beyond the confines of death.
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Women’s role during the Etruscans Period was a lot different from those before. If you would take a look at the art in the Etruscans Wing you can see that a woman’s role meant just as much as man’s role. It seemed more to me that men and women in the era was considered equal. Where as other eras women was acknowledged but never seen to be equal and was never seen in the same paintings or sculptures as men. Take the Cerveteri Sarcophagus sculpture for an example you see that the man is happy to show his woman off and have no problem with it. The are both smiling and seem to be very happy as well. It also showed in my opinion that the man is making a statement saying that this queen is below me however she is in titled to stay or sit right next to me. Also in the Novios Plautios’ Ficoroni Cistalso piece you can see that the woman looks as she is betrayed as the ruler and she have men staying by her side to hold her up and protect her if anything should happen. Through out this Wing it shows that women are just there to be in the role of a wife or a mother, but she is just as important as the men and actually have a frim place at the top.
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Women seem to take a much more powerful role in Etruscan art. The sculpture of the She Wolf is a powerful female figure, suckling Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The Cerveteri Sarcophagus depicts a husband and wife enjoying each other’s company casually. This was considered inappropriate by the Greeks and Lantin. The Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnaicerveteri Sarcophagus also depict women in a more powerful and human sense, unheard of before this point.
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In Etruscan culture woman seem to have a more important role in day to day activities. Even in celebrations and funerals they are depicted as being more involved than other civilizations around them. Their role in society or perhaps their freedom was less restricted then the other cultures. Woman were given greater freedoms and their work or opinions were valued more so than their neighbors. In some aspects they seem to have been more advanced in realizing the role in which woman play with society, life and death and the part they play in building the culture. The Cerveteri Sarcophagus in my opinion depicts the joint relationship between men and woman. They seem to be sitting over the sarcophagus as equals, even the male figure depicting deference to the female.
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SARCOPHAGUS OF LARTH TETNIES AND THANCHVIL TARNAI along with CERVETERI SARCOPHAGUS both show male/female couples. Though it is simply a representation of the living couples, I cant help but to have this idea of value placed on women in regards to the Etruscan art. They seem to show women by their side, rather than at their feet as servants.
Additionally, CAPITOLINE SHE-WOLF depicts a female form of power. Though animalistic and viewed as nervous and slightly malnourished she is still providing the nourishment needed for Romulus and Remus. It is an understanding and a great show of the role of a woman.
Also, knowing that women commissioned art, shows us that the culture was a step ahead in recognizing a woman’s ability and worth. This differs from the other cultures that we’ve looked at, where women were merely a fixture. -
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First of all, men and women are different, so their desires and expression of desire are different. So the art shown in the Etruscan wing isn’t necessarily indicative of the role of women — just how men who made art or commissioned art saw the role of women.
If Apollo from Viee was in fact struggling with Hercules over the Golden Hind, he found his twin sister (Artemis’s) interests of importance — enough to risk humiliation or death.
The Cerveti Sarcophagus shows a man and wife reclining together to enjoy a feast — with the man protectively and lovingly in place behind her. The class info attached to the image seems a little inaccurate, considering the info I found on the above Hellenistic Greek period — also the bias shown by male Roman writers at the same time. Roman women had access to education (depending on financial status), and there is historical evidence that Roman women ran estates, owned businesses, and attended to their own financial affairs. Higher class Roman women didn’t have to get jobs, but lower class Roman women took on agriculture, markets, crafts, and limited medical expertise. Although it does suck that prostitutes, waitresses, and slaves were not allowed to pursue rape charges, that sucks.
In the Egyptian statues that showed man and wife, the woman stayed a step behind the man. This may be interpreted as female subordination, or it may be interpreted as the man’s need to be a step before her to protect her from enemies and animals. She is the most important thing he is responsible for the safety of. Man’s love of woman is not always apparent, and not always openly flaunted for fear of being seen as weak. The art of the Etruscans, like the Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai, openly showed the love of man for woman — so it’s easy to suppose that they were more progressive than previous or contemporary cultures. However, the males that successfully breed are those who care about their wives’ and daughter’s happiness. The evidence of this provided in previous wings is scant.
For instance, in ancient Egypt, there are a myriad of love songs writ by men and women, calling each other brother and sister (like in the American 70’s) to signal they are equal.
In Aegean frescos, young women and men are shown engaging in the same sport — jumping the bulls horns.
Ancient Mesopotamian/Sumerian women had more rights than later Assyrian cultures, in that they were able to own land, own businesses, become physicians, become judges or witnesses in courts, etc.
Just because something looks like a thing, doesn’t mean it’s a thing. Look into it if in doubt.
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In the Etruscan culture, women seemed to have a higher reputation than other cultures. Women were not as degraded as they used to be. The women were moving up in the Etruscan society and were almost seen to be as equal as men. A sculpture that holds much power is the She-Wolf. It is a female figure where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, are suckling from the She Wolf. By having this change it opened up the future of future art and also cultures. This was a step toward women being independent and not being undermined by men.
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Several of the works in the Etruscan wing depict women or were commissioned by women. How does the role of women in Etruscan society seem to differ from that of the other cultures we have studied?
The Etruscan society appear to be more accepting of women and the role that they played. There are many examples where the woman’s stature was not diminished but portrayed as more equal to men. The Cerveti Sarcophagus and The Sarcophagus of Larth Tetnies and Thanchvil Tarnai bothe show displays of affection between men and women and portrays them as being more equal than art from previous periods.
We all know that women have always had an important role in society and history has even produced some very prominent women leaders. I would say that looking at percentages and facts that the social-economic, political and religious views of the time did not allow for vast populations of women to gain public status. There just was not that many women in power so most of the art sensationalized men, warriors, and rulers. I feel it is similar to the LBGTQ folk, in the 70’s they practically had to hide for their life and now they are on TV doing the nasty. Art is allowed to evolve with society but not against society.
I find it fitting that this shift comes after the Hellenistic period, it is almost as if the artists and women of the time were given more freedom of expression and the portrayal of “real” life became acceptable.
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