The Renaissance is Female

by Yinsey Wang and Hajnalka Berényi-Kiss of Heroines & Muses

Model: Yinsey Wang @tornandpolished
Make-up: Jennifer Brillante @brijance.makeupartist
Hair and make-up: Nina Willenpart @stylingsbynina, @shadesbynina
Retouching assistant: Julia Lomaka @julia_lomaka_retoucher
Photographer/Creative Direction/Post-production and retouching: Hajnalka Berényi-Kiss @heroinesandmuses

In Renaissance-era portrayals of women, it’s not uncommon to see femmes fatales dominated by the male gaze, imposing antiquated stereotypes of what a woman should be. Men’s paintings of female bodies often incorporate the seductive elements of Venus and other characters from myth and legend, or on the other end of the spectrum, we find portraits of modest, dutiful wives and well- behaved daughters educated in the domestic arts. The Heroines & Muses project has set out to subvert these tropes and focus on the agency of the female figures we’ve chosen to depict.

The Renaissance Is Female series draws on myth, legend, and history to echo and amplify the original concept of an era of rebirth. We use soft, ethereal lighting; subtle transitions; and atmospheric effects to give the images a painterly feel. In the images on pages 87 and 88, we pay homage to the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend, popular from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and beyond. In some tales, she’s the guardian and bestower of Excalibur, the legendary sword that King Arthur wields in battle. Our images portray her as a protagonist in her own right, not merely a side character to Arthur. Here she’s a formidable warrior endowed with mystical wisdom, her strength anchored in deep contemplation. Our goal is to highlight her pivotal role in Arthurian legend—and build on her own legend as well.

The image above features our fictional empress in Qing dynasty attire, her power and royalty symbolized by the traditional color yellow. Chinese tales often depict ambitious concubines ascending to dominance through seduction, as happens in many tales of ancient and traditional narratives. To add depth to this character, the team portrayed her as a strategist and scholar, challenging stereotypes of docile, nubile courtesans and obedient wives to emperors and tropes of “women going above their station.” During the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), there was a fascinating influx of Western ideas and trade through increased contact with other cultures. The Qing rulers were challenged on their ability to deal with encroaching Western imperialism but also on questions of how to strike a balance between preserving Confucian culture and embracing modernity.

The late Qing period also saw a woman rise to supreme power: Empress Dowager Cixi, a former concubine, who ran the government from 1861 until her death in 1908. She was a controversial figure in China; the historical record shows a wide range of stereotypes attached to her reign and how often she was blamed for the downfall of the dynasty.

We want to reinvent what we see as the Renaissance, take our own interpretation and bring a rebirth to the term itself, one that centers the agency of women. Let’s usher in a Renaissance that is female!