Art History Series: Now you see us 1520 – 1920, an exhibition at Tate Britain
- Ladureena
- Jun 21, 2024
- 2 min read
Tate Britain's new exhibition 'Now You See Us' showcases women artists over a period of 400 years - their careers laying the foundations for generations to come. They challenge what it means to be a working woman and go against the grain by risking their position in society as working artists and participating in public exhibitions. You can see 150 works that give a new look at women's creativity, many of which focus on "male" themes such as historical pieces, battle scenes and the nude. Many of these artists have fought hard for equality breaking boundaries and showing what it means to be a lady in the art world.
One of these figures is Louise Jopling, whose first work was added to the gallery's collection after the artist's history had long been neglected.
She is one of the most famous British artists of the 19th century, a suffragette who exhibited her paintings at the Royal Academy and was well received by her contemporaries. But since then, she's been pretty much forgotten, and Tate Britain is trying to fix that by exhibiting three of her pieces. According to the exhibition's curator Tabitha Barber, Jopling's story is what has happened to many women artists over the centuries, namely that "they have been regarded, studied and judged differently".
In 1901, Jopling was accepted into the Royal Society of British Artists, some of her patrons included the Rothschild family, as well as the founders of the Grosvernor Gallery, Sir Coutts and Lady Lindsay. At a time when women were not allowed to be part of the Royal Academy, her work was exhibited and critically acclaimed. They were also well received by the market, selling for some of the highest prices for a female artist, albeit lower than some of her male contemporaries.
In 1843, Jopling married Frank Romer, who later became Baron de Rothschild's private secretary and, after the baroness saw her sketches, encouraged her to pursue formal education. Jopling herself mentioned in an interview that until then "the idea of an artistic career had not crossed her mind. At that time I didn't know of a girl, much less a married woman, studying art."
Other famous figures you may see in the exhibition include: Angelica Kauffman, Mary Beale, Elizabeth Butler and Laura Knight.
I hope we see many more new women who conquer the market.
Regards, Julia
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