Publication Date
4-1-2022
Abstract
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 1, 2022) – In “Rosa Bonheur the Amazon? Equestrianism, Female Masculinity and the Horse Fair (1852–1855)”, Dr. Michael Fowler will explore the sartorial and equestrian significance of Bonheur’s self-portrait nested within the painting at noon on Wednesday, April 6 via Zoom. The live stream can be viewed here: etsu.zoom.us/j/98988963213.
This free virtual talk is part of the “WGS on Wednesdays” series sponsored by the East Tennessee State University Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
In 1853, Bonheur first exhibited what would become her most widely celebrated work: Horse Fair, a monumental, horizontally oriented painting representing an energetic scene from the regular horse markets held on Paris’ Boulevard de l’Hôpital. Although the work’s modern setting and animal-focused subject matter do not obviously characterize it as an instance of classical reception, the artist described the painting as her own “Parthenon frieze.”
A significant amount of feminist and queer scholarship has been dedicated to Bonheur’s life, career and art practices, all of which reveal the complex ways in which the artist negotiated the gender norms of 19th century France. In this talk, Fowler argues that Bonheur appropriates and refashions this modish, gendered imagery to make a bold statement of women’s equality with men.
Fowler is an assistant professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Design. He completed a PhD in Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University in 2019, specializing in ancient Greece and the Near East. An award-winning educator, Fowler teaches courses across the global history of art, seeking to introduce students to the diversity of visual cultures around the world and to the critical role that the arts continue to play in expressing, shaping and responding to peoples’ ideals and realities.
Carrying on the legacy of the “Women on Wednesdays” talks that began in 2012, the series will highlight work at ETSU that centers on gender and sexuality. For more information, contact Dr. Chelsea Wessels, ETSU interim director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, at (423) 439-4125.
Document Type
News Article
