Museum of Femininity

Welcome back to the Museum of Femininity, in this episode we will be exploring the life and art of photographer and painter Dora Maar.
Dora Maar is perhaps most recognisable for her turbulent affair with Pablo Picasso and for being one of this muses and the subject of his iconic weeping woman series. Although we will be exploring some of this history  of their relationship and the impact the breakup had on Maar's life and mental health, we aim to focus mainly on her artistic achievements. We will explore her experimental approach to photography and particularly photomontages, which were fantastical and filled with atmosphere, as well as her success as a career woman creating innovative beauty adverts during the boom of print media. 
In addition to her remarkable body of work we will also spend some time exploring her persona and fiery passionate nature, which made her such a charismatic person to be around. All in all there is much more to Dora Maar than Picasso, so I hope you enjoy learning more about her life with me. 

Images - Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 
Sources 
Women artists and the surrealist movement by Whitney Chadwick
The Story of Art without Men by Katy Hessel
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-surrealist-photographer-picassos-muse
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/maar-dora/
https://www.ft.com/content/0ee21c42-05a6-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7ca

In todays episode we explore the role women played in Medieval European Society, with a focus on Anglo-Saxon Queens and their political and religious influences, the power and respect bestowed on wise and visionary abbesses and nuns and artists who produced embroidery that was praised throughout Europe. 

Images - Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources 

Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It

Book by Janina Ramirez

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/histories/women-in-history/queen-bertha-historical-enigma/
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/st-hild/
https://www.bl.uk/people/queen-emma
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Aethelflaed-Lady-of-the-Mercians/
https://www.historyextra.com/period/norman/bayeux-tapestry-where-make-how-long-who-when-stitch-penises-visit/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Hildegard
https://www.arthistoryproject.com/artists/hildegard-von-bingen/scivias-i3-god-cosmos-and-humanity/

Welcome back to the museum of Femininity. In this episode we will be exploring the life of Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) and American author, activist and lecturer who was also Deafblind. We will be exploring her remarkable life including her prolific body of written work and her achievements in educations, as well as her incredible partnership with teacher Anne Sullivan, who was instrumental in Keller learning to communicate as a child and as an educator who was also visually impaired has an interesting story in her own right. 
In this episode we aim to capture some of Keller's personality and celebrate the barriers she overcame as well as analysing some of the more troubling aspects of her life, particularly around her desire to marry at the age of 36 and the resistance this decision  provoked in her family and loved ones. 
I am not an expert in this subject and much of what I discovered when I was reading for this episode I learnt for the first time. I expect there is much of Helen Keller's story left uncovered so I encourage you to read deeper if this topic interests you.

Images Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources
https://time.com/5918660/helen-keller-disability-history/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helen-Keller
https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology/biography
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/helen-keller-relationships-love-and-identity/18982/#:~:text=In%20June%201916%2C%20when%20she,couple%20made%20plans%20to%20marry.

In this episode we wrap up our marriage series by analysing the tradition of marriage in the Victorian era (1837-1901).
We will explore the role of marriage in society, why people married and if attitudes to marriage evolved as the century progressed. Through examining such traditions we hope to shine light on the lives of women in Victorian society and how they navigated gender norms and expectations.

Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/victorian/
https://spartacus-educational.com/Wmarriage.htm
https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/how-to-celebrate-victorian-wedding-dresses-food-honeymoon/
https://www.brides.com/what-is-a-bridal-trousseau-1860910#:~:text=From%20Victorian%20times%2C%20the%20trousseau,if%20skilled%20with%20a%20needle.

In this mini episode we examine the fascinating story of Boudica (30AD - 61AD) warrior Queen of the Iceni people who led a successful yet blood thirsty campaign against Roman forces who were ruling Britain in this time. 
In addition to the historic events we will also address how Boudica has been portrayed in art and media and how this reflects the culture of the time. 

Instagram @themuseumoffemininty

Sources
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans/
https://www.worldhistory.org/Boudicca/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boudicca

In this episode we will be discussing the role marriage played in the Georgian period (1714-1837)
We will outline the ceremony and the traditions as well as some of the reasons why people married and how this differed in social classes. 
We will explore the pomp and ceremony of royal weddings, and how the press often painted a very different picture to reality. As well as the changes in marriage laws, in order to combat scandalous runaway marriages, some of the pitfalls to marriage and the dangers women faced if they made the wrong choice. We will also explore a case of Harriot Mellon, who went from daughter of an Irish Peasant to a millionaire duchess, through two advantageous marriages, and how this caused ripples throughout society, shining interesting light on the strictness of etiquette and knowing your place in the social order. 
Sources 
The Time Travellers guide to Georgian Britain by Ian Mortimer 
https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2016/11/short-simple-and-to-point-regency.html#:~:text=Regency%20era%20wedding%20ceremonies%20were,between%208%20AM%20and%20noon.
https://victorian-era.org/georgian-era-facts/weddings-marriages.html
https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Analysis-Of-Social-Class-Mobility-And-Marriage-435139
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/georgians/

In this episode we discuss the career of Meiji era Japanese artist Uemura Shōen (1875 –1949) born in Kyoto she pursued artistic training from the age of 12, partly due to the support of her mother. From there she would have a highly successful career and became known for her paintings of beautiful women and her illustrations of scenes from Noh Plays. However, Uemura lived an unconventional life and did not adhere to the strict gender roles of Japanese society, even causing a stir when she had two children out of wedlock, the father of which was suspected to be her teacher. This is an interesting story about how one incredibly driven and creative woman was able to overcome social stigma to achieve immense respect in her chosen field, which equalled that of her male counterparts. 
I hope you enjoy this episode and apologise for my ropey voice, which is still not quite back to normal after recent thyroid surgery.

Images
Instagram @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-inspiring-story-of-uemura-sh%C5%8Den/mwXxZujHMzKwGw?hl=en
https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/8672-uemura-shoen-the-inspiring-story-of-japan-s-first-female-professional-painter
Japanese art by Joan Stanley-Baker
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2019/05/28/arts/openings-outside-tokyo/bijin-ga-world-fine-feminine-beauty/
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/829412

Welcome back to the Museum of Femininity. In our new episode we will be discussing marriage in the Tudor Period, but more specifically the process of getting engaged and the wedding ceremony. By accessing key moments like this we hope to learn more about the role of women in society.
During the Tudor period marriage became more codified with contracts and rules, we also start to see certain marriage traditions that persist today, like having witnesses present. Specific marriage are better documented particularly those of royalty, we will describe the lavish ceremony of Mary Tudors short lived marriage to the King of France, and how this reflects the symbolic importance of an event like this. 

Images
Instagram @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources
https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/love-and-marriage-in-tudor-england/
https://tudortimes.co.uk/daily-life/marriage/post-reformation-changes
https://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/anne-boleyn/guest-articles/the-art-of-courtly-love-anne-boleyn-and-henry-viii/

In this episode we explore the lives and careers of Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) and Mary Moser (1744-1819), who were the only two female founding members of the Royal Academy of Art, founded in 1768. 
We will discuss Angelica Kauffman's fame and her unladylike focus on the masculine and epic History painting, considered to be the most respected and accomplished genre of art. As well as her huge achievements and highly successful commissions.
We will also discuss Mary Moser's career and commitment to the Academy, her work for royalty and her influence among other Academicians.
Of course we will also explore some of the ways being female affected Moser and Kauffman's place in the RA, including ways in which they were excluded, as symbolically represented in a famous group portrait by Johan Joseph Zoffany. 

Sources
Women Artists by Flavia Frigeri
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/angelica-kauffman-history-painting/
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/mary-moser-ra
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ra-magazine-jenny-uglow-angelica-kauffman-ra

Images
Instagram - @themuseumoffemininity 

Welcome back to the Museum of Femininity, in todays episode we start a new series analysing the history of marriage, but more specifically the process of getting engaged, weddings and how people celebrated this happy occasion throughout history.
Here we will be looking at the Middle Ages in Britain, the differences between a peasant wedding and an upper class wedding, why people married, what a wedding involved and how traditions of the past were similar and different to those today. 
We will also devote sometime to contextualising the time period and having a general discussion about the role of women in Medieval society.

For images
Instagram - @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
https://rosaliegilbert.com/weddings.html
https://www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/women-in-medieval-society
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/
https://www.medievaltimes.com/education/medieval-era/marriage#:~:text=In%20the%20middle%20ages%2C%20girls,boy%20she%20was%20to%20marry.