Tag: Herstory Rediscovered

Unremembered: The Misattributions of Clara Peeters and Judith Leyster

Presenter: Morning Glory Ritchie – Art History

Faculty Mentor(s): Maile Hutterer

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Herstory Rediscovered, Poster Presentation

Clara Peeters and Judith Leyster were still-life painters prominent during the 17th-century. These still-life genre paintings were of a popular Dutch style which included painting of the interior domestic household and food items. During this era, women faced extreme challenges to receive an art education and to enter the market. Often, these women would have to have a male family member, such as husband or father, be the one to give the art education. These artists have all had a lack of recognition in art historical scholarship, with several of their works misattributed to other male artists of their time. Several 17th-century works created by women were often misattributed to men. Works by female painters were also attributed to their husbands or fathers, as was the case for several works by Judith Leyster who was unknown for almost three centuries. Many still-life works from this period also lack clarity and evidence for attribution leaving many works without name. Several women artists were extremely prominent and successful with their still-life compositions during the 17th-century. Therefore, it is time to start the search for women painters in order to better understand Early Modern culture and the impact of women in the arts. When not much is known about the life of a female artist due to restraints of the women’s role in the domestic household during the 17th-century, their legacy, reputation and contributions to the art world and history eventually fade away.

Examining the Effect of Fate within “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt

Presenter(s): Ashley Fale-Olsen — English

Faculty Mentor(s): Corbett Upton

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Herstory Rediscovered

In the first novel by Donna Tartt, published in 1992, titled “The Secret History,” the author uses fate as if it has agency over the characters. Although the novel is set in America during the 1980s, the fatalistic tone of the novel and the usage of the prologue, which divulges the crime and the guilty parties, serve to create a sense of fate that mirrors that of a Greek Tragedy rather than an American novel. This paper will serve to closely examine the book alongside traditional themes of Greek Tragedy, instead of the American view of fate, which places the individual in control of their own fate. This subversion is important within the context of American novels, and to understand the writing style and concepts of Tartt’s literary work.

Exploring Manifestations of Consent in the 19th Century American South

Presenter: Casper Byrne − English

Faculty Mentor(s): Dr. Yvette Saavedra

(In-Person) Oral Panel—Herstory Rediscovered

Since the introduction of Affirmative Consent in the early 1990s, the conversation around consent has focused on empowering sexual agency. However, despite the advancements institutions have made in teaching affirmative consent, a culture of sexualised violence persists across most American institutions. This dissonance can be traced to the nineteenth century, when many contemporary notions about sexuality and gender originated. This paper explores the synthesis of modern sexuality to conceptualise the act of consent in an age where it was all but impossible. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Awakening by Kate Chopin both explore the experiences of women grappling for control of their lives. One, an enslaved woman, attempts to save herself and her family from slavery, while the other, a wealthy wife, struggles with the rigid expectations of white womanhood . Comparing these narratives reveals that 19th century consent was an act of rebellion and a negation of men’s ownership over women’s bodies. The contrasting narratives also highlight the relative inaccessibility of rebellion to Black women, who were marginalised at the intersection of race and gender. Understanding the subversive origins of contemporary sexual agency helps contextualise the contemporary cultural response to consent. Expressions of women’s agency through the act of consent undermine men’s unimpeded sexuality, which places consent in tension with heteronormative sexual practices.