Mother, Maiden, Mistress - Women in Art

Whether through images of Eve, Venus and the Virgin Mary, or as mother, maiden and mistress, women have been framed throughout centuries of art history into certain archetypes that are so embedded in our cultural consciousness we often fail to recognise fully their influence. Over the course of this day we will study a number of archetypes of women and femininity in images made by artists ranging from Botticelli to Titian, Velázquez to Gainsborough.

Also considered will be work by women artists ranging from Gentileschi, Vigée Le Brun and Morisot to a wide range of 20th and 21st century women artists from Bell, to Wylie and Emin. These works will prompt questions and debate around feminism and art. Why have women historically been excluded from studying and practising as artists? Why has art history favoured the contributions of men, often suppressing the history of women’s work? Why are nude images of women in the gallery and public arenas repeatedly normalised?

The first half of the day at the National Gallery considers the historical depiction of women in religious, mythological and history paintings and portraits as well as the way in which women were held back from acceptance into the art establishment until late into the 19th century. The afternoon is spent at Tate Britain where, after lunch at the Rex Whistler restaurant, the important and often overlooked contributions of women artists in Britain are assessed, ultimately focusing on late 20th century women artists such as Chadwick, Hiller, Lucas and many others represented in the Tate’s collection.