The court of Charles II (1660–1685) was characterized by splendor, excess, exuberance, and glamour. The most famous women of the day were alternately praised for their beauty and despised for the power and influence they wielded in the political arena. By looking at the context in which the portraits of women at the court of Charles II were produced, the life histories of the women, and their subsequent reputations, this exhibition reassessed long-held assumptions not only about the art of the period but also about cultural and gender politics of the time.
Venues
National Portrait Gallery, London: October 11, 2001–January 6, 2002
Yale Center for British Art: January 25–March 17, 2002
View works from the collection included in this exhibition here.
Credits
The exhibition was co-organized by the Center and the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Top image
Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II installation, photo by Richard Caspole
Extended reading
Painted Ladies: Women in the Court of Charles II
Edited by Catharine MacLeod and Julia Marciari Alexander