so so intriguing and amazingly written as always!!! wild that she was such a talented painter at only twelve, and your comments on the contrasting privileges afforded to female and male artists is so interesting. i think it's so easy to forget that it was so easy for a woman to be scrutinised for just about anything back in the day, even if that was just the knowledge of male anatomy.
Thanks, Jani! I can't help but imagine how many talented women we lost to history because of the same "forces" that tried to drag Kauffman down. Such a shame really..
Perhaps the female body that Richard Cosway is using to prop up his (diminutive) form is that of his wife, Maria Hadfield Cosway. She was not a member of the RA, but her skills as an artist, musician and society hostess helped to ensure his success. Zoffany was known for making such little barbs in his conversation pieces.
I've never heard of her, could definitely be! It actually makes a lot of sense and god, how horrible of Zoffany... Either way, he was clearly not winning any feminist of the year awards, ahah.
so so intriguing and amazingly written as always!!! wild that she was such a talented painter at only twelve, and your comments on the contrasting privileges afforded to female and male artists is so interesting. i think it's so easy to forget that it was so easy for a woman to be scrutinised for just about anything back in the day, even if that was just the knowledge of male anatomy.
Thanks, Jani! I can't help but imagine how many talented women we lost to history because of the same "forces" that tried to drag Kauffman down. Such a shame really..
Perhaps the female body that Richard Cosway is using to prop up his (diminutive) form is that of his wife, Maria Hadfield Cosway. She was not a member of the RA, but her skills as an artist, musician and society hostess helped to ensure his success. Zoffany was known for making such little barbs in his conversation pieces.
I've never heard of her, could definitely be! It actually makes a lot of sense and god, how horrible of Zoffany... Either way, he was clearly not winning any feminist of the year awards, ahah.