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29/4/2008

On the nature of women

National Portrait Gallery, London

An innovative new display of Tudor portraits featuring virtuous wives and scandalous women ­ some not seen in public for more than 70 years ­ opens at the Elizabethan National Trust property Montacute House in Somerset, a regional partner of the National Portrait Gallery, on Tuesday 29 April.

Shedding new light on the role of women in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries including their involvement in political events and life at the royal court, this display is the first for the National Trust and the National Portrait Gallery to have been curated by university students. On the Nature of Women has been researched by ten students from the University of Bristol as a core part of their MA course.

The display is opened by the distinguished historian Lady Antonia Fraser, who has written the foreword to a new book also launched at Montacute on 29 April on Tudor and Jacobean portraits. It is written by the National Portrait Gallery's 16th Century Curator Dr Tarnya Cooper, who also guided the Bristol students in their research.

Visitors to Montacute will be able to see portraits of women praised as virtuous mothers as well as those tainted by scandal, such as Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset. Their portraits frequently marked significant events in their lives such as coronations, weddings, deaths, and the creation or continuation of dynasties. As well as showing a likeness, they also presented the virtues of sitters to their best effect and the rapidly changing ideals of beauty and fashion between 1535 and 1620, evident in the women's necklines, hairstyles and headwear.

Focusing on portraits of women from the nobility and gentry, the display of 11 portraits explores contemporary ideas about female character and virtue. It shows how some male writers of the day argued that women were naturally manipulative, shrewish and prone to vice, while others saw women as 'moderate and prudent' beings, created to bring comfort, honour, and children to their husbands.'

Among the highlights of the display are a painting of Mary Shelton, Lady Scudamore, by the
acclaimed artist Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, a portrait thought to be of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox, who was Mary Queen of Scots's mother-in-law and one thought to be of Lady Jane Grey, both of which have not been seen in public for over 70 years.

This innovative display, which will run for two National Trust seasons until 2009, has enabled the Bristol University students to undertake original research in the National Portrait Gallery's extensive archives and to write introductory text, captions, and other types of gallery interpretation including devising family activities.

The display of portraits, several of which have been specially restored, will be accompanied by a series of talks and events.

On the Nature of Women is a collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery, the National Trust and the University of Bristol.

Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London, says: 'The creative partnership between the National Portrait Gallery and the National Trust provides a wonderful basis for this new collaboration with the University of Bristol. I am delighted that the new display offers so many fascinating insights into portraits of Tudor women.'

Richard Higgs, Property Manager of Montacute House, says: 'The National Portrait Gallery portraits have always been of huge interest to visitors to Montacute, including the large number of school children that come as part of our learning programme. We are therefore thrilled to have this new exciting exhibition, particularly as it has involved the students at Bristol who have done a wonderful job in curating it.'

Dr Tania String, Senior Lecturer in the Department of History of Art, University of Bristol, says: 'This has been an extraordinary learning experience for our postgraduate students - the opportunity to work so closely with art objects has been foundational for this next generation of art historians.'

PUBLICATION
A fully-illustrated National Portrait Gallery publication A Guide to Tudor and Jacobean Portraits which focuses on 16th and 17th century portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, Montacute House, and other National Trust properties, accompanies the display. Written by the Gallery's 16th Century Curator, Dr Tarnya Cooper, and with a foreword by Lady Antonia Fraser, the book is available in paperback and priced £5.99.

National Portrait Gallery
st Martin's Place - London

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