The portrayal of women as passive and quiet within Renaissance literature did not stray far from the image of the Renaissance woman in created works of art. Women are portrayed as disconnected from the realm of knowledge; clearly seen in literature, politics, plays, and even art. Women can be seen in paintings, where they are positioned so only their profile is exposed and various personal objects are scattered about the background. These items usually include jewelry, pictures, or maybe if their lucky, a book. Women in these types of paintings were depicted as the mother and wife, and never the scholar or politician, which correlated with their status in society quite well. Domenico di Tommaso di Currado di Doffo Bigordi, an Italian Renaissance painter from Florence and student of Michelangelo, painted a portrait called Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni. The silhouette of Tornabuoni captures her with no emotion displayed on her face, removing any sign of character that may display her as an active contributor to society; she is to sit quietly. Her hands are clenched tightly on her lap, she's dressed extravagantly, her hair simply collected on top of her head, all while disconnectedly facing away from the observer, exemplifies the disparity between women and authority within Renaissance society. Susanne Woods, who has published numerous works on feminism within literature, recognizes this disparity in the Renaissance: "Women should be particularly skilled in learning and governance in, 'Artes and Policy,' was hardly the common wisdom of the period." William Shakespeare touches on this issue in a number of his works. Renaissance literature typically characterized women as submissive and quiet. However, in his play "The Winter's Tale," Shakespeare deviates from the standard to which women were regarded. He portrays his female characters, Hermione, Perdita, and Paulina, as active members of society with powerful traits of courage, eloquence, and dignity.
