Roots of misogyny emerge from left field
RENAISSANCE paintings of Adam and Eve were the genesis of “original sexism” in Western culture, an academic study has claimed.
Masterpieces commit the original sin of misogynistic stereotyping as they consistently show Eve as a “sinister” figure, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh,
This is achieved by placing the first “fallen woman” on the left of Adam, in a position which was a coded symbol for being morally inferior, and this “original sexism” has been handed down through Western artistic culture.
Discussing Eve’s treatment in art, Prof Sergio Della Sala said: “We suggest that she is the victim of an unholy trinity of associations: she is a woman, thus responsible for original sin, thus consigned to the sinister side.
“This dark triad of original sexism, historically, permeates the visual art of Western, Christian cultures.”
The right-hand side has long had positive associations, with Aristotle’s ancient work The Metaphysics linking it to goodness and light, and theatres often introducing their villains from stage-left. The term “sinister” derives from the Latin for “left”.
The study found artworks by painters from Rembrandt to Salvador Dalí, show Eve in this position of left-sided inferiority, and academics argue this subtle sexism continues to be communicated to contemporary art lovers. The study, published in the journal Laterality, stated this “reflects the perceived lesser status of women in relation to men”, and that the “unquestioning acceptance of this tradition is abhorrent and pervasive”. It added: “Every time we visit a museum, every time we enter a church, every time we peruse an art textbook it may be implicitly reinforced.”
The study of hundreds of depictions of the Garden of Eden, found that 82 per cent of the samples prior to 1600 used this coded moral format.
The study by Prof Della Sala and Prof Robert D. Mcintosh also noted this link may be connected to the brain as people tend to prefer objects placed in the leftside of their visual field.