Details

EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR | “Belle Donne: Poets and Portraits”
Presented by Dr. Meghan Callahan
With Additional Commentary by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Renaissance women were immortalized in poetry and painting as “belle donne” or “beautiful women.” The 14th century poet Petrarch’s Laura inspired not just written poetry, but painted works by 16th century artists such as Giorgione and Titian. “Belle donne” appeared on canvases, ceramic dishes, and prints. While some were named, others remain anonymous. In this talk we’ll examine how “belle donne” images functioned and compare them with Bronzino’s portrait of Laura Battiferri – a poet and the wife of sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati – to discover what happens when the subject of the painting is a poet herself.

The webinar will include a 45-minute lecture followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

Please note:

• Your participation is confirmed once you have purchased your ticket. You will receive the Zoom link to join the presentation circa 30 minutes before the start time.
• VIDEO RECORDING of the webinar will be available for unlimited streaming at your convenience for 7 days after the event.

Lecturer

Dr. Meghan Callahan has lived and worked in London since 2006. Like Rocky, she earned her Master’s degree in Art History from Syracuse University as a Florence Fellow. She has a Ph.D in Art History from Rutgers University. Meghan is the Assistant Director for Teaching and Learning at Syracuse University London, where she has taught art history and history classes on Italian Art in London and the UK; Women and Art: London and UK; and Underground London.

She worked on the reinstallation of the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and then then with the sculpture dealer Patricia Wengraf. Meghan has published various articles and essays on the architectural patronage of the 16th-century mystic nun Sister Domenica da Paradiso, miraculous paintings in Renaissance Florence, and Italian Renaissance and Baroque sculpture.