Victorian Herstorians - women as writers - Susanna Avery Quash
National Gallery is sending its new acquisition - Gentileschi as St Catherine - around the country to be shown in GP surgeries, prisons, women's venues etc, to make sure as many people see it as possible.
Context - Art scene 1830s. Government had no money for arts. Holkham Hall Norfolk art collection up for sale and went to Russia as the Government of the day would not buy it. Church not interested as collection was popish? No - Protestants did not pay for art. Expected it to be free. Thus art was not for ordinary people.
Enlightenment - obligation to share great art with others. Nationalist aristocrats would allow middle classes (Stafford House) to view great art collections. Aristocrats homes used to show art or lend too exhibitions. 1805 British Institution - Pall Mall - art loan - temporary exhibition. Art bequeathed to National Art Collection - formed Dulwich Picture Gallery 1814; Fitzwilliam Museum 1816.
National Gallery - government funded. Angerstine (money from Lloyds Insurance) died 1823 - bought Reynolds West and Lawrence RAs. When Austrian war debt money was repaid it funded the NG first collection in Angerstein's Pall Mall House. Great collection but not expansive. Already acknowledged masterpieces had been collected. Italian and French. No labels or catalogue. Hung to appeal to the connoisseur.
Anna Jameson - in 1940s made Old Masters visible to audiences - explained iconography.
Mary Merrifield - used historical fresco techniques - she was a technician - understood how to achieve effects. Wrte like a man - scholarly tone - but wrote in a friendly tone, with illustrations. Appeals to non-specialists. High-level but accessible. Was friends with Charles Eastlake, NG director. Welcomed and encouraged women.
Jameson was an unnamed consultant and initiator of Manchester Art Gallery. Men's names recorded - but not hers.
She analysed the London & Dublin collections. Writes about the iconography of Jesus and Mary etc. Protestants did not promote her hooks about popish imagery. Protestants now could understand historical religious paintings. Defence of female approach to reading pictures. Men's attribution of paintings was about who the painter was; nationality; location of making. Her attribution was to focus on what the painting was about - enjoy the picture. She was a pioneer of understanding the image. Combined text and pictures. Chatty style. No esoteric language. Feminine - new style. Enthusiastic and understandable.
1. Empirical research methodology. Facts, archives, travel to see, note-taking, languages, seek scholars and connoisseurs - for information and answers
2. Rigorous and cutting edge German historical methods - sound criticism, facts - therefore no prediliction, feeling or wish.
3. Written with non-specialist audience in mind. Artistic education of the masses. Scholarship but worn lightly.
Mary Merrifield
Was around from 1840s, prior to commencement of NG 1855. Broad scholar - algae!
Recognition in day - now forgotten.
Technique. Fine Arts Commission. Not British oil on canvas. Fresco paint a la Old Msaters. Archive research - she was a scholar in how to paint frescos. Italian and Spanish. Considers colours - careful techniques and handling. Restores paintings.
Empirical methodology. Language skills. Formidable networks. User friendly transmission and sharing with non-specialist audiences.
Eastlake - Keeper of NG 1843. Wanted chronology of painting. She did it. This led to the reconstitution of NG in 1855.
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