At the beginning of the 18th century, women’s engagement in collecting and connoisseurship became a means not only to express taste but also to fulfil aspirations for greater social power. They stimulated arts patronage, and their homes became the nexus of a new mode of social interaction. And yet, despite their determination to establish themselves as leading lights of the intellectual salons, these women were more frequently lauded for their physical attributes and personal charm than for their intellectual achievements.
This lecture by Belinda Scerri explores lush visual and textual portraits of two learned women, the Duchesse du Maine and Comtesse de Verrue. Belinda teaches Art History in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.