[Elderly women in art pictures--a search for evidence of manifestations of female competence in old age].

The "depictions" of aging women by painters of different historical periods contain significant cues as far as general chances and restrictions of female development across the life-span is concerned. Generally, the supposition of elderly women's public invisibility holds true. By that, not only the popular but also the (pseudo-)scientific views appear rather contradictory. Thus, the termination of fertility could entail a new social freedom and an expansion of the women's life-space, but it could also stand for devaluation and complete restriction. A systematic screening of 85,000 Italian and 9000 non-Italian but European works of fine art (source: photo-archive of the Institute "Herziana" in Rome) resulted in a sample of altogether 1030 pictures that showed one or more elderly women (this is about 1% of the original screening). The analyses focused on social-psychological criteria rather than on iconographic aspects. Five categories were assessed: thematic aspects; range of visible behavior; women's position in the picture; aspects of mood; forms of social interaction. A trend could be found that points to the gradual disappearance of the formerly shown autonomy and competence. Thus, these "images" of aging women shed more light on the hidden agendas of female life-span development. Even viewers of our days might profit by looking at "old pictures" of "old ladies". Eyes might be opened and sharpened as far as the ever changing pitfalls of becoming older in a changing world is concerned.