Mosaic of Medusa

Gender stereotypes: subject of history / allegory

The Gorgon Medusa acted as a model of womanhood in the Greek world. This female being with a terrible visage represents chaos, darkness and evil, as well as cunning and the capacity for deceit. But Medusa is also a representation of motherhood and fertility, for from her severed neck sprang the winged horse Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor. This ancient image of matriarchy fell under masculine control when it became part of Athena’s armour, as the goddess, being a daughter of Zeus, is a representation of the patriarchy. It is also worth noting Medusa’s association with the underworld and the beyond, given the presence of serpents and her female connection with the forces of nature. Medusa is a demonic figure who inspires terror, while at the same time an amulet against death.

Knife handle in the shape of a female figure

Gender and sexuality

This 14th-century piece, found in the neighbourhood of El Carmen, challenges the imagination with questions regarding its use and the meanings hidden within its iconography. Throughout the 13th century, the story of the young woman it represents, the Châtelaine of Vergy, was sung in the courts of Europe, immortalizing a love that was tragic yet very human in its erotic dimensions. However, in the 16th-century work by Marguerite de Navarre, we find that the story has already been transformed: here the lovers engage in sublimated feelings that scale the heights of platonic love, while the female antagonist has taken on the monstrous characteristics of a femme fatale. These changes have motivated us to propose a collective rereading with the participation of museum visitors, inviting them to reconsider the work’s transformation and reconstruct it, questioning the gender roles and use of language to express emotion in its many aspects.

Corbel with a scene of Phyllis riding Aristotle

Gender and body

Gender and sexuality

The Lai d’Aristote is a fable (amusing and frequently erotic fictional tale told for the purpose of entertainment) attributed to Henri de Valenciennes, whose moral lesson celebrates the absolute power of Eros (love). But a very different rereading soon emerged: Phyllis becomes the wife of Alexander, thus demonstrating the evil of women in general and the sexual desire that leads to the debilitating power of womanhood. The theme was used in medieval and later literature, giving rise to multiple interpretations: evil power of women, insurmountable power of carnal love, weakness of the wise man, conflict between religious and secular values, etc. And from the 14th to the 19th centuries, this theme was widely depicted in art, including choir misericords and architectural statuary, manuscript illuminations, aristocratic tapestries, gold and silverwork, luxury utensils, and particularly engravings.

Dress for the Moma

Gender stereotypes: subject of history / allegory

Gender and clothing

Valencia’s Corpus Christi procession features the Momos, symbols of sin, and in contrast, the Moma, symbol of virtue, responsible for filling the human spirit with divine light. It is odd that the person who dons the gown of the Moma is a man, although he wears a woman’s clothing on the outside. There may be two explanations for this fact. The first is that the dance of the Moma and the Momos follows the pattern of a war dance, in which a struggle is performed, traditionally carried out by men. The second is the limited presence of women, considered sinful beings by the Church, in religious festivities beginning in the medieval period. Their traditional sphere was the home in their role as wife and mother, rather than public occasions.

Raid Valencia-Alicante-Valencia

Gender stereotypes: subject of history / allegory

Gender stereotypes: subject / object

From time immemorial, female depictions, containing varying degrees of fantasy and nudity, have frequently been placed on the front of ships. In keeping with this tradition, the artist positions a woman as the central element of the composition. However, this is a different woman, one associated with the modernity deriving from the 1909 Valencia Regional Exposition (repeated as a national exposition in 1910). She is presented in the context of festivities, joy, novelty, etc. and fully fleshed out, with features that even resemble a portrait. The poster demonstrates the option of another form of public presence and exhibition for Valencian women, which would have to coexist with the traditional mantilla and modesty. It constitutes a step forward in constructing the modern woman of the consumer society, reflected in the graphic works of illustrator Rafael de Penagos (1889–1954).

Poster announcing the Valencia Fair

Gran Feria de Valencia, 1934

Gender and body

Gender stereotypes: subject of history / allegory

Gender stereotypes: subject / object

The female allegory emerged in antiquity to personify civic virtues, designed by men. This inheritance of half-naked ideal women includes the Fatherland, Peace, Justice and others. The absolutist monarchies used the attributes of Athena/Minerva – tunic and cuirass which completely covered her breasts – to represent the nationalities, but also the regions. It was only with the French Revolution that the breast would be freed, creating a Liberty or Republic with the features of the mythical Amazons. This personification, Marianne, also displayed her enormous nurturing breast to suggest the equality of all persons before this new state. In Spain, national and regional allegories were ‘uncovered’ later and with some difficulty. The symbolic Valencian woman of the Fair posters sported her long tunic until 1920, when Vercher undressed her completely. This Deco trend rose with the triumph of republican ideas, blending political ideology with the cult of the healthy athletic body. Her breast remained as perfect and impersonal as those of the first marble statues.

Wartime Poster by Rafael de Penagos

Gender roles

Gender and history

Gender stereotypes: public / domestic

Housed at the Museu d’Història de València, this propaganda poster was commissioned by the Spanish Army Jefatura de Sanidad (Department of Health). The artist was the Carlist illustrator Rafael de Penagos (1889-1954). The scene depicted on the poster immediately attracts the attention of the viewer: a nurse stands at the foot of the bed of a dying man, giving her own blood. In the background we see a woman breastfeeding her infant son. The text is clear and direct: “You, who gave life to the child… save the man from death,” equating the woman’s sacrifice to the Republic to that of the man’s in battle. The soldier spills his blood on the battlefield, while the nurse, in the rearguard, gives of her own life essence to save the soldier. Both are fighting for the same cause but through different actions.

Morning Coat

Gender and attire

The most important item of men’s attire in the 18th century was the morning coat. This was a long coat of military origin that covered the body down to the knees. With long sleeves and an upright collar, it had buttons made of precious metal or covered in the same fabric as the coat. The coat had symmetrical side pockets with flaps and was snug fitting to the waist, where it opened in lateral pleats and split into two tails.  In recent years we are seeing a wider variety of men’s attire on display, linked both to an interest in the study of masculinity and to the general appeal of men’s fashion.

18th Century Dress

Gender and attire

The Museu d’Història de València houses a reproduction of an 18th century dress. It is the work of María Victoria Liceras, collector and enthusiast of historical attire. The dress is made of red silk with a floral pattern, and is comprised of a doublet and skirt. The doublet is snug fitting, with a square neckline finished with lace trim, and sleeves ending just below the elbow that are finished with a lace ruffle. An elegant white shawl matching the lace on the dress partially covers the shoulders and neckline. Financial and business relationships among members of the upper-middle class were of great importance, and were based on family relations and ties of friendship. Marriage was therefore of great importance. Women of affluent background were held in high esteem, as the marriages arranged for them by their parents could increase the family’s wealth and links to power.

Cigarette rolling machine

Sexual / gender division of labor

The piece we see in the photo is a Vilaseca cigarette roller, created by La Maquinista Valenciana foundry and housed in the Museu d’Història de València. It is a motor-powered cigarette rolling machine from the beginning of the century, capable of rolling between 30 and 40 cigarettes per minute. It is noteworthy that tobacco in all of its formats (cigar, cigarette or granulated tobacco), a symbol of masculinity and socio-economic distinction, was produced primarily by women. Women were already present in the tobacco factories of the 18th century, but it was in the following century when the number of female workers increased, as they began to produce cigars, and particularly cigarettes. This work required a great deal of care and precision, while the brute force of male workers was used for producing snuff.

Vespa scooter

Gender and social class

Gender and space

Piaggio, a company founded in 1884, initially devoted its activities to shipbuilding and rail carriages, and during the First World War, to the manufacture of airplanes. The company is the creator of the most iconic motorbike of all times: the Vespa.

Conceived of as an inexpensive vehicle that would contribute to the financial recovery of the Piaggio company, the Vespa was designed by the aeronautical engineer Corradino d’Ascanio and the designer Mario d’Este. The original model was based on the mini motorbikes used by airborne troops during the war. The name was coined by Enrico Piaggio, who, when he saw the wide front end and narrow body, exclaimed, “Sembra una vespa!” (“It looks like a wasp!”) The Vespa  appears in film as a symbol of freedom, ridden by some of the cinema’s most iconic actors in Roman Holiday (1953) and La Dolce Vita (1960), among others. The motorbike is the embodiment of style, individuality and the modern life.

Tile mural

Gender and history

Gender roles

Donated by the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias González Martí, this tile mural is likely a reference to an episode from the First Carlist War (1833-1840), waged on Valencian soil. In it, we can see various battle scenes being fought between Carlists and Cristinos – in other words, the conservatives and the Liberals, in other words, the conservative supporters of the late king’s brother, Carlos de Borbón, and the progressive supporters of the regent, Maria Christina, acting for Isabella II of Spain. The images represented are scenes of violence: stabbings, soldiers being killed with bayonets, and bloody arrests. The people depicted are all men, soldiers demonstrating their valor and courage. No women are seen in combat, because women did not fight on the front line during the Carlist Wars. Instead, they stayed behind to help the soldiers, treating their wounds, carrying supplies, providing information on the enemy and helping to fortify towns.