Final answer:
Medieval women like Catherine de Vigri succeeded in the arts despite societal restrictions. Over time, technological and cultural changes provided women with more freedom and opportunities for education and work. These advancements laid the groundwork for the modern women’s movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The contrast between actual accomplishments of medieval women and contemporary ideas about women reveals a discrepancy between societal expectations and the reality of women's lives and contributions during the medieval period. Despite the stereotypical constraints, some women, like Catherine de Vigri, succeeded as artists during the Renaissance. Their success was often due to unique circumstances, such as being a nun, a noblewoman, or born into a family of artists, which allowed them to circumvent societal norms that otherwise confined women to domestic roles. Over time, women began to gain new rights and opportunities for education, employment, and creative expression, paving the way for future advancements in the women's movement.
As society progressed, technological developments and cultural shifts provided women with more autonomy. The invention of household appliances, for example, gave some women the means and time to seek employment outside the home and to further their education. Yet, this transformation was gradual, and societal expectations for women to maintain domestic responsibilities persisted well into modern times. Writers like Virginia Woolf highlighted the historical limitations placed on women's creativity and education, theorizing about an imaginary sister of William Shakespeare who could have been a great writer, had she been given the same opportunities.