<p>During the Middle Ages, the Church exerted the greatest influence over how women were perceived, women did not have the opportunity to raise as warriors or queens as in the Ancient Times. </p> <p>The two main alternatives for a medieval woman were to marry, or to 'take the veil' and become a nun. Almost all female orders required women to live behind the walls of a monastery or within an individual cell, living a life of contemplation, prayer and work. However, there were some women, who broke with the traditional roles assigned to them in several ways during a time when women had no legal rights and were considered a man's property.</p> <p>Take Heloise for example, she scandalized the 12th century France by having an love affair with her tutor. The letters she exchanged with Abelard  are being read to this day, through them we follow their tragic and passionate love affair. Another women, Hildegard of Bingen is known for her writings and music, her music is still performed today, and her spiritual works are read as examples of a feminine interpretation of church and spiritual ideas. </p> <p>Marie de France, was considered the most revolutionary writer of her time, as it was not common practice for women to author any texts at all, and so was Christine de Pizan, who become the first women to support herself and her children through writing after her husband died and she was left alone.</p> <p>I have also included a fictional character in this collection, Sheharazad, the narrator of <em><em>The One Thousand and One Nights. </em></em> The female characters in the stories fight to make their own choices and live according to their beliefs about freedom, sexuality, and love, as the other women in this collection.<em></em></p> <p><em><br /></em></p> <p><br /></p> <p><em><br /></em><br /></p> <p><em></em></p> <p><em><br /></em></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p>

<p>Women in mid-twentieth century and after made an enormous impact not only in arts, but also in literary forms.  </p> <p>Matisse's <em>Tea, </em>which starts this collection shows the contrasting use of color, pattern, and line on Marguerite and Henriette creating a feeling of imbalance in the piece. This piece confronts the viewer with the tension between restraint and nature.</p> <p>This tension is taken to  a different form in the artists displayed here.</p> <p>Simone de Beauvoir, uses in promoting feminism, according to Simone de Beauvoir, women do not choose to think about their bodies and bodily processes negatively; rather they are forced to do so as a result of being embedded in a hostile patriarchal society. Andy Warhol , creator of Pop Art, used multiple images of American icon, Marilyn Monroe to produce art. </p> <p></p> <p>Another artist, Judy Chicago wanted to demonstrate women's achievements through history in the collaborated installation The Dinner Party. Her goal was to ensure that this tribute to women becomes a permanent part of our cultural heritage. </p> <p><br /></p>

<p>This collection represents the women of the Ancient Times who made a difference in their respective civilizations.</p> <p>Those female figures held powerful roles, and played significantly influential parts in the domains traditionally held by men. Their names are still known today. </p> <p>Enheduanna, the earliest known poet, helped her father to unite the Akkadians and the Sumerians through poetry, while Sappho, brought us a lyrical poetry, she would talk about love, feelings, and woman (from a woman’s point of view). Her poetry was unlike others; previous and current poets at the time were male and wrote about events that focused on the Gods and men in general. </p> <p>Queen Nefertiti together with her husband united Egyptian people under one god, the Sun God. </p> <p>Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, secured her position—and her Egypt’s independence—through her influence over Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, some of the most powerful Western men of the time </p> <p>Artemisia of Halicarnassus, also known as Artemisia I of Caria, is credited with persuading Persian King Xerxes to abandon his invasion of Greece. </p> <p>As we can see, ancient history has many strong female figures, and their names echo down history to the present day.</p> <p></p>