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Women Who Ruled: Queens, Goddesses, Amazons 1500-1650
Fathom
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| Seminar Introduction |
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Private collection, courtesy of Peter Nahum at the Leicester Galleries, London.
Photo: The Leicester Galleries
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| Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I |
Women Who Ruled: Queens, Goddesses, Amazons 1500-1650, explores the ways powerful women were depicted in the visual arts of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. During the years 1500 to 1650, complex political circumstances resulted in unprecedented numbers of women ruling European states, a phenomenon that added fuel to the long-simmering controversy about the proper role of women in society. As artists responded to the heightened profile of women in public life, many of the paintings, prints, book illustrations, drawings, sculptures and decorative art objects created at this time took powerful women as their theme. This seminar also documents the degree to which artists and public figures of the Renaissance and Baroque periods understood that visual culture not only reflects social attitudes and values but can be a potent force in shaping them as well. An awareness of the power of visual communication is not a modern phenomenon; the struggle to define one's own image--or else be defined by others--was just as fierce 500 hundred years ago as it is today. This seminar draws from the exhibition Women Who Ruled: Queens, Goddesses, Amazons 1500-1650, which is organized and circulated by the University of Michigan Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible by Ford Motor Company. Additional support has been provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the University of Michigan Office of the Provost, the Friends of the Museum of Art, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and other generous donors.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Recount how "image" was critical to the Renaissance and the Baroque woman's ability to succeed in a male-dominated society.
- Explain the ways artists and public figures understood visual culture as both a reflection and a powerful shaping force of social attitudes and values.
- Describe how ruling women exploited their relationships to men in power (e.g., husbands, sons, fathers) to secure and wield power of their own.
- Identify the ways Queen Elizabeth I broke new ground in image making.
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| Sessions |
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| Credits |
Copyright 2002 Regents of the University of Michigan.
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.
Plug-ins: If you do not have RealPlayer and Flash Player already installed, please download them from the following sites:
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