3 Famous Paintings of Women at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France

The Louvre Museum in Paris is home to 35,000 works of art, including 5,500 paintings--and numerous other works of visual art. It is the largest art museum in the world. 

The vast majority of paintings in the Louvre were painted by men, including many portraits of women. This class looks at 3 famous paintings that have women as their central subjects. 

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci
Portrait of Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist*
Liberty Leads the People by Eugène Delacroix*

This class is taught from a feminist perspective. We examine the history of each painting, including the artist who created it and how it ended up in the Louvre Museum. We discuss the controversies surrounding the paintings. This class does touch on the artistic merit of each painting, but the main focus is on the history of the paintings and the bigger cultural questions that they nudge us to ask.

These questions include: 

-Why is the Mona Lisa likely the most famous painting in the world? 
-Why was the Portrait of Madeleine so controversial at the time, and what do Benoist's painting and the response to it tell us about how Black women were viewed at the time? 
-What is the symbolism of Liberty being a woman, and is there a relationship between Liberty in the painting and the American concept of "Lady Liberty" and the State of Liberty? 

This class is conversational, fun, and informative. Students can participate via video or via the chat feature (after being verified on screen). 

*Please note that Portrait of Madeleine and Liberty Leads the People include the subjects'  uncovered breasts; we will discuss the role of nudity in the portraiture and depiction of women. These are paintings that you would see on public display if you took a child to the Louvre; please be aware of this important piece of information before registering for this class. Students will be expected to view and discuss the paintings with appropriate discussion and questions. I will use this text to answer questions regarding the presence of nudity in art: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780500650806

We may view other paintings during the class for comparison; nothing will be shared in class that is not on public display at the Louvre or a comparable museum, such as the Musee d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the National Portrait Gallery. 

This is an excellent class for families who are preparing to take a trip to the Louvre Museum in Paris, as well as students who are interested in art history, feminism & feminist history, women's history, and painting. 

****I am happy to teach this course to one enrolled student. You do not need to worry about cancellation due to low enrollment.****