There have always been attempts to explain the origins of regional and national identities within the UK, perhaps stemming from a need to explain the existence of human life in much the same way religious origin stories have been used. Regardless of the reasons why, the lasting result of explaining these identities provides use with… Continue reading What’s in a name?: Geographical identities in the UK
The links between dress and morality, or at the very least modesty, have been ingrained within Western society, while many claim they dress for themselves and do not care what others think, the size of a persons hooped earrings or the height of their heels is supposed to belie the extent of their sexual promiscuity.… Continue reading ‘The bigger the hoop, the bigger the hoe’: the rules of morality and modesty in fashion
Comparing portraits of notable figures may not only give us an insight into the appearance of these figures, although in some cases that is not necessary, but also perhaps provide an insight into the personal as well as public image. By comparing Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe (left) to Willem de Kooning’s Marilyn Monroe (right)… Continue reading The Portrait Series: Marilyn Monroe
It is widely known that there are gender imbalances in all fields of work yet in the art world this key issue often goes unnoticed unless it is actively pointed out. When I asked a group of 19-40 year olds via social media to list the artists they could think of off of the top… Continue reading Where is the gender balance in art?
It seems relatively easy to forget about the lives of the disabled throughout history as until the nineteenth century there was very little in the way of a written record. Focusing on visual impairments and blindness in particular, there are little to no records prior to the eighteenth century. While this might imply that those… Continue reading Visual impairments through history
Throughout history nude portraits have been painted by men, for men, Linda Nochlin argued that all erotic art, even that of men or of lesbians was aimed at men. Nochlin goes further and quotes John Berger as saying that the model’s sexuality was not her own but belongs to that of the viewer of the… Continue reading Does the naked body belong to art?
Corsetry in the 19th century was not only fashionable but seemingly a trend women were expected to follow, there were implications of lax morals if a woman chose not to wear a corset. The need for a corset could well have been supplanted by alternative styles of dress which did not require a corset, although… Continue reading Corsets in the 19th Century
Paintings and portraiture from the 16th century are incredibly valuable sources, providing an insight into the politics surrounding paintings as well as into 16th century culture and the way it changed. This is shown particularly through clothing and religious festivals demonstrating aspects of 16th century life of both aristocrats and common people in paintings. Patronage… Continue reading 16th Century Paintings
The development of photography during the nineteenth century led to a greater increase of visual sources, particularly as the process was quicker, and eventually cheaper than paying an artist for a portrait to be painted. However it could be argued that while photography provided a greater wealth of sources, the black and white nature of… Continue reading Black and white photos or paintings?
There has always been a historical gender gap as certain roles were attributed to particular genders; some of these roles were trapping and time consuming such as washing and cooking. These roles, which are often gendered and generally portrayed within historiography as being restrictive and limiting women within a sphere of domestic jobs whether in… Continue reading The influence of White Goods on equality
The Colourful Historian 