About this program
Lady Mary Leighton (née Parker) was a noblewoman who lived in country houses near the Welsh border in the 1800s. Like many of her fellow aristocrats, Leighton (1799–1864) learned to make art from a young age. Scrapbooks of her works are now in the Center’s collection, containing everything from pencil sketches of trees to pen drawings of dancing crabs. This talk will explore Mary Leighton’s watercolor paintings, primarily of countryside landscapes, as a way of understanding her artistic practices, examining what her work can reveal about the artistic life of an upper-class woman in nineteenth-century Britain.
About Libby Horsfield
Libby Horsfield is currently a PhD researcher with Birkbeck University, London, and English Heritage. Her thesis investigates nineteenth-century women’s amateur art, with a focus on the country house as a space for creativity. In particular, she analyzes works associated with the Neville family of Audley End House in Essex, arguing for the important role women’s art played in maintaining social networks. Horsfield is interested in research on the lived experiences of women in history, country house studies, and family histories. During her time at the Center, she is investigating some of the many sketchbooks in the collection that were kept by nineteenth-century women. Her PhD and fellowship at the YCBA are funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Register
Preregistration is required for this program. Please contact ycba.studyroom@yale.edu to register.
Art in Context
Presented by faculty, staff, student guides, and visiting scholars, these gallery talks focus on a particular work of art in the museum’s collections or special exhibitions through an in-depth look at its style, subject matter, technique, or time period.
