Under the Influence of Creative Women
- Gracious Chitenderu
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
March 8th marks International Women’s Day. As the month comes to a close, we’d like to take this time to reflect on the creative minds and the influence women have and had on our view of art, literature and design.
Below are a few remarkable women from various points in history who paved the way:
Prehistoric Era (to 600 BCE)
Iti and Hekenu (Ancient Egypt, 2563 - 2424 BCE): First Female Musicians Recorded Historically
Iti, a female composer and Hekena, a harpist, were the first female musicians known to have been historically recorded. A depiction of the duo is seen on the tomb of an Ancient Egyptian Fifth Dynasty Nobleman, "wishing to enjoy their music in the next life". This shows they were celebrated musicians of their time.
Classical Era (600 BCE - 476 CE)
Hildegard von Bingen (German,1098-1179): First Western European Female Composer
Hildengard, German Benedictine abbess, composed antiphons and tunes praising numerous Saints and the Virgin Mary. She also wrote books of theology based on her (alleged) visions, studied medicine and created her own language and alphabet, the “lingua Ignota” which can be found in her work, Riesen Codex.
The Middle Ages (476 CE - 1450 CE)
Sibilla von Bondorf (German, d c1524): Scribe and Illuminator
Considering that most medieval manuscripts are anonymous and many have been lost over the time, Sibilla’s preserved work proves to be significant. Her body of work includes full-page illustrations of the lives of different Saints (ie. Saint Francis, Saint Clara and Saint Elisabeth). Convents, in Germany, back then played an important role in religious reform movements such as the Observant Reform–which consequently casts light on circumstances that encouraged womens’ artistic production.
Early Modern Era (1450 CE - 1750 CE)
Luisa Roldán (Spanish, 1652 - 1706): First Documented Spanish Woman Sculptor
In this period, women were prohibited from attending academies and securing apprenticeship programs for formal training, yet Luisa persevered and became an artist during the baroque style movement. She followed after her father, and trained in his workshop alongside his male apprentices.
Modern Era (1750 CE - Present)
Julie Morgan (American, 1872 - 1957): First Licensed Woman Architect In California
In a male dominated industry, Morgan achieved many feats in architecture–from being the first female graduate at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts to designing over 700 buildings.
Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, 1929 - Present): Obsessive Polka-dot Experimentation in Art
Dubbed as “the Priestess of Polka-Dot”, Yayoi was one of the first artists to experiment with performance and action art–having staged several unauthorized performances in New York City (1960s) that captured the attention of the press.
This list is not extensive, as there are other women who have expressed their creative nature in different fields. Who will you celebrate today?
REFERENCES
Iti & Hekena: https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/iti-c-2563-2424-bce
Hildegard von Bingen: https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/2015/10/01/letter-i-ardly-know-er-the-unknown-language-and-letters-of-hildegard-von-bingen/
Sibilla von Bondorf: https://www.frieze.com/article/observant-sisters
Julia Morgan: https://pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org/julia-morgan/
Yayoi Kusama: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yayoi-Kusama
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