Mary Magdalene Da Vinci Painting
Timeline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc668SpyNe0
https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/harem
In this painting analysis we will look a the painting 'On the Way to Anacapri' by Gerda Wegener (1885-1940) a Danish artist who worked as a successful fashion illustrator. In addition to this she also created glass mosaics, erotic art and also painted. In the public consciousness she is perhaps mostly remembered for her marriage and relationship with Lili Elbe, who is one of the first recorded cases of someone undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Before her transition Lili has been posing secretly as a model for Gerda, which when revealed caused a huge scandal, leading the couple to flee to Paris, which was a more bohemian and liberal city that accepted their lifestyle. Sadly for legal reasons the marriage was dissolved but they remained close and Gerda was deeply affected by her passing away.
In this episode we will explore Lili and Gerda's relationship as represented in 'On the Way to Anacapri' as well as discussing Gerda's career and versatility as an artist.
In this episode we explore the role of the governess in 19th Century England. Governesses were well educated young women employed by wealthy families to teach their daughters. Existing in a strange limbo, they were not considered a part of the family but were also too high status to fit in with other servants. Due to this governesses were often lonely figures who operated outside of feminine conventions, as they were unmarried and financially independent. In this episode we delve into the day to day work of a governess and what type of women tended to fill this role.
In addition, we explore the lives of some famous governesses, stereotypes and examples of governesses in art and literature, which have helped build them up as a fictional archetype.
Trigger warning - there is some discussion of sexual assault
Sources
https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/videos/the-governess
https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-figure-of-the-governess
https://www.19thcenturyart-facos.com/artwork/governess-0
https://www.mimimatthews.com/2015/06/15/the-literary-governess-depictions-in-austen-bronte-thackeray-and-heyer/
https://www.mimimatthews.com/2018/02/12/the-vulnerable-victorian-governess/
In today's painting analysis we will be looking at the 1913 painting 'Self Portrait with Nude' by Laura Knight. At the time of painting women were not allowed to paint from live models or it was generally considered vulgar, due to this her work was widely criticised for it's defiance in challenging the status quo.
In this episode we will explore the context of the Edwardian era and a bit about the role of the self portrait in art history.
Images
Instagram - @themuseumoffemininity
Sources
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jul/06/laura-knight-unashamed-illustrator
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/dame-laura-knight-1424
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw03686/Laura-Knight-with-model-Ella-Louise-Naper-Self-Portrait
