Women have not always had the same rights as men. There are times when they have been beaten or killed for trying to do the same things that men are able to. This gallery will showcase how women have been portrayed around the world in the very late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, and the rights that they fought so hard for.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, Napoleon Sarony, c. 1870, From the collection of: Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
This picture features Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. They were two of the most important people in the women's suffrage movement. As you can see from the picture they have a very stern look on their faces and they are wearing very modest clothing. The image of them sitting together tells you that they were set on the same purpose. Sadly neither of them lived to see the passage of the 19th ammendment which gave women the right to vote.
Breton Girl Looking After Plants in the Hothouse, Anna Petersen, 1884, From the collection of: SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
Women in these times were not allowed to vote. This painting by Anna Peterson shows a woman engaged in thought. Her point she was trying to make with this painting was that even though women were thought to not be equal to men, they could still think for themselves and didn't want to always do house work.
June, Ellen Day Hale, ca. 1893, From the collection of: National Museum of Women in the Arts
In this painting by Ellen Day Hale you can see a woman doing her wifely duties as would be expected in these times; she is sewing something. You can see the painters good use of light as the sunlight is shining through the window behind the sitter and accenting her hands as she works. This is much like a woman's life would have been in these times.
Getting Ready for a Game, Carl Larsson, 1901, From the collection of: Nationalmuseum Sweden
In this painting you can tell that the woman in the picture is a "proper" woman of these times. She has kept a clean and tidy house and her kids are about to play a game. The use of light accents in this painting is spectacular. The light on the table has lit up the entire room. The use of color is also excellent as you can tell from all the red used; it just catches your eyes.
Photograph of suffragists promoting the Woman Suffrage Mass Meeting on the roof of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Library of Congress, 1913/1913, From the collection of: Brooklyn Academy of Music
In this photo taken in 1913 you can see three women advertising for an upcoming women's suffrage meeting. One is holding a bag with leaflets in it for pilgrim women. If you notice though the one holding the flag is letting it touch the ground; not exactly a good thing.
The Fist, Alice Morgan Wright (1881-1975), 1921, From the collection of: Albany Institute of History & Art
This sculpture titled "The Fist" by Alice Morgan Wright created in 1921; a year after women won the right to vote is thought to be symbolic of the struggle by women and their rights to vote. Prior to this date this sculpture probably wouldn't have been taken seriously as women were not equal to men in all respects.
Julia Ward Howe, John Elliott, Begun c. 1910, finished c. 1925, From the collection of: Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
Julia Ward Howe is depicted here as how she would have looked in her eariler years. She was a very important woman in the women's rights movement in the United States. She was president of The Association of the Advancement of Women. She also wrote many books on the women's suffrage movement. You can see her in this painting writing one of her books most likely and in deep thought about it.
Carrie Chapman Catt, Mary Eliot Foote, 1927, From the collection of: Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
Carrie Chapman Catt was instrumental in the women's rights movement in America. She worked with Susan B. Anthony and actually replaced her as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She went on to lead women to the right to vote with the passage of the 19th ammendment. You can see her in this painting here seated with a book in her hand; kind of makes you wonder what book it was. The painter of this painting has her posed looking very serious and has good use of lines in this painting. You can see the chair, her dress, and wall behind it are all built off of lines.
Letitia Stevenson, Unknown, 1957, From the collection of: McLean County Museum of History
Letitia Stevenson was the wife of vice president Adlai Stevenson during Grover Cleveland's Administration. You can see her posed here outside in front of a vast countryside. This gives the illusion of tranquility. You can see how the painting appears to be three dimensional by the way of the country side appearing to get smaller and smaller as it goes back into the horizon. This was good use of this by the painter. Letitia Stevenson was very involved with the women's suffrage movement and probably had a lot of influence since she was the wife of a vice president.
Ruby Loftus screwing a Breech-ring, Knight, Laura (Dame) (RA), 1943, From the collection of: Imperial War Museums
This painting made during World War II shows women working in a factory. This was of course after the passage of the 19th ammendment. It just shows that women can do the same things that men can do. These women were making products for military use as the men were off fighting a war. This just goes to show that women were willing to work even when men said that they couldn't, just for the simple fact that they are female. If you look in the background you don't see any men working. The artist was trying to show the importance of women in the workplace; whether during war time or not.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
