Fourteenth Century

Moving into the fourteenth century there is still a heavy influence of the church in all aspects of art and life. While we see still more religion based artwork the exact subjects of the artwork change slightly. In Martini's The Annunciation the subject of the painting is the Virgin Mary. The back ground of the painting is done in gold as well as the hemming of her dress being done in gold. Using such precious materials gives more importance to this painting. during this period the Virgin Mary's role in the church was becoming even more prominent. This transfered into higher regard for women in general during this time even though women still didn't have many rights. Women still weren't considered as equals in marriage during this period but they were thought of more highly than in the earlier medieval centuries.