Study for the Allegory of Birth n.d.

This is Giorgio Vasari's "Study for the Allegory of Birth", made with pen and brown wash. Vasari lived in Florence during the High Renaissance, a period of intense artistic production and cultural change, but also of rigid social hierarchies. As a painter and architect, he was deeply influenced by the classical revival, and a key figure in defining the artistic styles of the era. This drawing presents birth as a theatrical, staged event, where the female body is on display. While the allegory celebrates new life, it also reinforces the period's limited roles for women. They are either in the act of childbearing, or as attendants. Vasari’s artistic choices reflect a society where women’s identities were often defined by their reproductive capabilities, a dynamic that continues to resonate and challenge us today.