Museum of Femininity

In this new episode of the Museum of Femininity we will explore the life of another female art collector, who was also an eminent political leader in Renaissance Italy.
Isabella d'Este (1474-1539) was the Marchioness of Mantua, who collected a variety of Ancient sculptures, medals and artefacts which she displayed in her Studiolo. Along with collecting classical works of art she also commissioned various paintings by the most notable Old Masters of the age including Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, Mantegna and Titian. 
She was a forceful character who kept meticulous records and sent hundreds of letters with detailed instructions about how her studio was to be constructed, displaying a firmness but also the ability to persuade with flattery and charm.
As well as her formidable connoisseurship she showed immense political prowess and often stepped into the role of leader during times of war.

Sources
 https://isabelladeste.web.unc.edu/profile-of-isabella-deste/
http://www.italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-8/essays/isabella-deste-collects/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdkbLv8vgYQ

In this painting analysis we examine the painting Woman in a Red Armchair painted by Pablo Picasso in 1932.
We explore the expressiveness sensuality of this era in Picasso's work and interrogate the important role women played in fuelling his artistic inspiration. 
It is also important that we cover his relationship with the model Marie Therese Walter and it's troubling developments, which highlight Picasso's misogynistic and brutish tendencies. In this episode we tackle the difficult question of whether or not an artists personal downfalls should effect our feelings about their work, in the case of Picasso.

Instagram @themuseumoffemininity

Sources 

Essential Picasso by Laura Payne
The Success and Failure of Picasso by John Berger
https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/art-politics/the_picasso_problem_why_we_shouldnt_separate_the_art_from_the_artists_misogyny-55120

In this episode we explore the life of Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946) who was a queer writer and art collector as well as the leader of one of the most influential Parisian art salons of the early 1900. In her home she entertained the likes of Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemmingway and Ezra Pound, becoming a key voice in the radical art world of that time. 
As a writer she was experimental and often wrote illuminating and personal stories about her life, love between women and insight into the lives of the artists she knew. 
We will cover not only Gertrude's work and impact but also her relationship with her life partner Alice B Toklas. 

Images 
Instagram @themuseumofemininty 

Sources
In Momartre  by Sue Roe
https://www.biography.com/writer/gertrude-stein
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/stein-gertrude
Wikipedia 

In this painting analysis mini episode we will be looking at the 1620 painting Judith Slaying Holofernes by Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi. In the brutally realistic masterpiece we see the biblical heroine savagely behead the Assyrian general Holofernes in a frozen moment of violent chaos. This is perhaps one of the most visceral depictions of this subject, which has caused speculation that Artemisia Identified with the protagonist, as she herself had suffered sexual exploitation at the hands of a trusted family friend. In this episode we will be exploring this interpretation as well as Artemisia's style and background in addition to comparisons with other depictions of the same subject, to try and pinpoint why this one is so powerful.

Visual References
Instagram: @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
 https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/judith-beheading-holofernes
https://medium.com/thinksheet/how-to-read-paintings-judith-slaying-holofernes-by-artemisia-gentileschi-cade2f0c035e
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/artemisia
Women Artists by Flavia Frigeri 

A rambling conversation that covers the interesting history of trousers in women's wear, with a large focus on trouser's being symbolic of women's liberation through their utilitarian function. We talk about the early origins of the rational dress reform, the impact of war of women's fashion, the trends in Hollywood and how actresses bent the gender rules and also discuss gendered clothing in contemporary society.
 
Images 
Instagram: @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/suffragettes-in-trousers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trousers_as_women%27s_clothing
https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-rational-dress-societys-gazette 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/trousers
Attitudes Towards Women's Trousers: Britain in the 1930s, Katina Bill, Journal of Design History, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1993), pp. 45-54 (10 pages) https://www.jstor.org/stable/1315935?seq=1 
The Fashion Chronicles: The Style Stories of History’s Best Dressed by Amber Butchart

In this romance themed art analysis mini episode we will be discussing three pictures which feature a lady reading or concealing a love letter.
The Love Letter by Jean Honoré Fragonard 1773
The Love Letter by Johannes Vermeer 1670
Woman readi
ng a letter, Kitagawa Utamaro, 18th century

These three images are reflective of three very different cultures and time periods, but all highlight the intensity and mystery of the love letter. In this episode we will analyse the history of the paintings as well as their symbolism.

Visual References
Instagram @themuseumoffemininity

Sources
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436322
https://lifetakeslemons.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/the-love-letter-jean-honore-fragonard/
the Definitive Art Book
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/cat_about/love.html
Utamaro Revealed A Guide to Subject, Themes and Motifs by Gina Colia-Suzuki

In this episode Charlotte Appleyard and Bree Oliver discuss the fascinating role of a mistress in the Royal Court. 
We explore the place of a mistress, her political and social influences, her motivations and why the King was expected to take lovers. We also cover a wide span of examples ranging from Nell Gwynn and Charles II to Alice Keppel and Edward VII. 

For visual references visit our instagram @themuseumoffemininity 
Sources
King's Mistress, Queen's Servant: The Life and Times of Henrietta Howard
https://www.tatler.com/gallery/most-influential-royal-mistresses-throughout-history
https://www.history.com/news/royal-mistress-power-england-france-prince-william
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madame-de-pompadour-was-far-more-mistress-180967662/
Wikipedia 
encyclopedia britannica

In this mini episode I will be analysing the painting Olympia by Édouard Manet, which was painted in 1863 and caused a huge scandal for it's salacious subject and unrefined technique. 
Although composed like a classical image of the Goddess Venus, this painting was thought to depict a prostitute, and was therefore considered highly problematic, due to it's contemporary display of direct brash female immorality. This also unveils the double standards in the art world as nude women has always been a hallmark in the academy and something wealthy men evidently enjoyed viewing. 
In this episode I will discuss the history of this work of art, why it was considered scandalous, the symbolism within the painting, Manet's artistic methods and the identities of the models, which can shed light on how women of colour were viewed. 

To suggest a painting and for visual references visit our instagram @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190320-how-art-history-erased-black-people
Art of the Western World edited by Denise Hooker
Art the Definitive Visual Guide
Ways of Seeing by John Berger 

A debutante was a young lady, usually of aristocratic birth, who had come of age and was ready to enjoy high society events and balls of the season. To be debutante also marked your readiness for marriage and essentially coming of age. This year would culminate into the moment when you were presented in front of the Queen, and would attend the famous Queen Charlotte ball, where ladies were expected to dress in white and curtesy in front of a huge wedding cake.
In this podcast I will discuss the history of this quaint and regal tradition, including what it involved, the fashion, the expectations and the rebels. By discussing elements of history like this we can learn enormous amounts about the way women were viewed in society, how class affected your place in the world as well as how archaic traditions adapted for modern times. 

Visual references 
Instagram @themuseumoffemininty 

Sources
Debutantes and the London Season by Lucinda Gosling
https://www.ft.com/content/87eb2b5c-6383-11ea-a6cd-df28cc3c6a68
https://candicehern.com/regencyworld/court-dresses-overview/
https://www.solosophie.com

In this episode of the Museum of Femininity we will discuss the life of early twentieth century artist Vanessa Bell. She was a key member of the Bloomsbury Group and had a radical style, which was all about colour and form and was influenced heavily by the Post Impressionist movement. 
We will also discuss her interesting life including her relationship with artist Duncan Grant and the importance of her beloved house Charleston, which cemented her as an iconic interior designer as well as a pioneering artist.

Instagram @themuseumoffemininity 

Sources
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp00365/vanessa-bell-nee-stephen#comments
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bell-vanessa/life-and-legacy/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vanessa-Bell
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bell-studland-beach-verso-group-of-male-nudes-by-duncan-grant-t02080
https://www.charleston.org.uk/cominghome/

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