"The action of women in France during the eighteenth century will not soon be forgotten."

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

"For those who know how to look beyond the mere surface of history, the action of women in France during the eighteenth century will not soon be forgotten. She appears in that age--the most remarkable since that of the Reformation--connected with every important question. We behold her giving a stronger impulse to literature, aiding the development of philosophy and thought; and, like many, earnestly seeking, through all the mists and errors of human knowledge, to solve the great social and political problems which still agitate us in our day: the legacy of the past to the future.

--Julie Kavanagh, 'Women in France in the Eighteenth-Century'

Dorothea Erxleben (1715-1762): The First Woman to Earn a Medical Doctorate

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

 

A portrait of Dorothea Erxleben

Dorothea Christiane Erxleben born in 1715; several decades later, she would become the first woman known to earn a medical degree and become a practicing licensed physician. Although woman often worked in medical fields as midwives, nurses and unofficial practitioners, women in Europe were not allowed to hold medical degrees or practice as doctors.

Dorothea's father, Christian Leporin, was a physician; he taught both his son Christian and his daughter Dorothea medicine in addition to Latin and other scholarly pursuits.

Women were not allowed to become licensed physicians. This did not stop Dorothea from petitioning to study at the University of Halle, where her brother Christian planned to attend. Frederick II approved the petition, and Dorothea was allowed to study.

Her acceptance into the university was met with a contrast of support and anger. Johann Rhetius argued that since she could not practice medicine, there was no point to her graduating with a degree she could not use. Dorothea, for her part, gathered her thoughts in notes which would later be published as 'A Thorough Inquiry into the Causes Preventing the Female Sex from Studying'" In this work, Dorothea explored the fact that women were often burdened with children and housework and other gender-based expectations, making it impossible for them to engage in studies.

Although she was accepted to Halle in 1742, she was unable to attend the university as planned. She would later write that 'Providence' had other plans fo rher. She married, had several children, and dealt with frequent, ongoing family obligations which made studying at Halle (far away from her hometown) an impossible choice. In addition to her own children, she raised the 5 children of her cousin, Sophie, and tended to her ailing and dying father.

As the years went on, she began to practice medicine in her local town of Quedlinburg, despite her lack of official degree. In some cases, she was treating patients that her father was no longer able to treat due to his illness and, after 1747, his death.

The three doctors in Quendlinburg filed a lawsuit against her, charging her with "medical quackery" under the form of three specific charges: that she allowed herself to be called Frau Doctorin, that she often visited patients, and that she sometimes accepted money for her services. She answered all three charges in a 16 page letter, ending it with the bold defense that she would take her medical examinations, only if her accusers would take them at the same time.

The trio of physicians were outraged by her response, and derogatorily called her a "dear lady [who] considers herself a doctor, only by virtue of the fact that she can toss around some broken Latin and French." They even accused her of being a witch, saying she had treated a patient she didn't meet in person.

Frederick II intervened in 1754, ordering that Erxleben would need to take her medical examination and submit a dissertation to the University of Halle. Johann Junker, the rector at Halle, was sympathetic to Dorothea and argued that it was an "inexcusable injustice" to exclude women from the medical field or studies.

Dorothea submitted her dissertation, called 'Concerning the Swift and Pleasant but for that Reason less than Full Cure of Illnesses,' in which she argued (among other things) that many illnesses would be better treated with slower interventions and treatments, contrasted to the expectation from both physicians and patients that immediate interventions would be used. She was unanimously approved by the medical board, who noted that she could not have answered better than the most skilled physicians. Her dissertation became so popular that Erxleben had it translated into German and reprinted the following year.

On June 12th, 1754, Erxleben was awarded her medical doctorate. She practiced medicine until her death in 1762.

Self-portrait by Faronne Marie Madaleine Ollivier (1716-unknown)

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

 

A self-portrait by Faraona Olivieri (1730-unknown death date).

Faronne Marie Madaleine Ollivier was born in Paris in 1716 to a French father and mother of unknown name and origin. There is little documentation about Faronne's early life, but it is presumed she studied art. In 1750, she married artist Michel-Barthélémy Ollivier; the couple moved to Spain where both worked as artists. It was not unusual for French artists to take up residency in Spain, Faronne applied to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in 1759 and was unaminously accepted; she was the first woman to ever be admitted to the academy and her entry saw a rise in female successful female applicants. Her death date is unknown; however, the last known work she produced is dated to 1759.

The above pastel self-portrait is held in the collection of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Concerto per il cembalo; composed by Maria Teresa Agnesi (1720-1795)

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini was an Italian composer and singer born in Milan to Pietro Agnesi. Her sister, known as Maria Gaetana Agnesi, was a noted mathematician and philosopher. Not much is known about Maria Teresa's personal life. In 1752, she married Pier Antonio Pinottini, but he died not very long after their marriage. Maria Teresa was a fairly prolific composer, but most of her compositions were lost to time. Her performances were more often praised outside her home town, with many foreign audiences praising her work; she was even able to count Empress Maria Theresa as one of her patrons.

She died in 1795 at age 75.

The above piece, Concerto per il cembalo, is one of her more well-known works.

'On An Unsociable Family' by Elizabeth Hands

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

Detail from a portrait of an unidentified family by William Hogarth, 18th century.

Elizabeth Hands was born in 1746 to parents Henry and Ann Herbert, who worked at unknown occupations; she had two siblings, including a sister who died at less than one year of age. Elizabeth, who worked as a domestic servant, married William Hands in 1784; the couple had two children, daughters Elizabeth and Ann.

It is unknown exactly when Hands began writing poetry, but the advertisement taken out for a subscription to her works noted that she began reading poetry while working in a variety of households, where she would find and read available literature. Support for Hands' work in the local community was instrumental in the works being published. In 1788, the rector of Birdingbury wrote to Reverend Richard Blisse Riland in an attempt to drum up financial support for the publication of Hands' poetry; and the assistant headmaster at Rugby School, Philip Homer, manage to convince the school's various masters of the poems quality, thereafter the school agreed to put out a subscription notice for her works. 

The collection was published through subscription in 1789 under the title The Death of Amnon: a Poem with an Appendix, Containing Pastorals and Other Poetical Pieces. It achieved at least 1,200 subscribers, which was referred to by a contemporary critic as an 'uncommonly numerous list of subscribers."

The poems were generally well reviewed, with the titular poem receiving the most praise. 

I've singled out this particular poem by Hands because of its striking modernity. I imagine that many readers today can identify to some degree with the awkward situation described in the poem.

 On an UNSOCIABLE FAMILY. by Elizabeth Hands

O What a strange parcel of creatures are we,
Scarce ever to quarrel, or ever agree;
We all are alone, though at home altogether,
Except to the fire constrain'd by the weather;
Then one says, 'tis cold, which we all of us know,
And with unanimity answer, 'tis so:
With shrugs and with shivers all look at the fire,
And shuffle ourselves and our chairs a bit nigher;
Then quickly, preceded by silence profound,
A yawn epidemical catches around:
Like social companions we never fall out,
Nor ever care what one another's about;
To comfort each other is never our plan,
For to please ourselves, truly, is more than we can.

Three Self-Portraits by 18th-Century Women Artists

 Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

 

Three Self-Portraits by 18th-Century Women Artists

A self-portrait by Ludovike Simanowiz (1759-1827); 1791.

A self-portrait by Anna Bacherini Piattoli (1720–1788)

 

A self-portrait by Caroline Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, circa 1745.

 

 

 

Two moon phrase drawings by German astronomer and artist, Maria Clara Eimmart (1676-1707)

 Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

A pastel drawing of a moon phase by Maria Clara Eimmart. Circa 1693-1698.

 

 

Maria Clara Eimmart (1676-1707) was an astronomer and engraver born in Germany. Maria was the daughter--and eventually, assistant--to George Christoph Einmmart, an amateur astronomer whose own father was an engraver and painter. Maria's father trained her as an apprentice to his astronomy studies and ensured she had an education which reflected her broad interests. Maria Clara Eimmart learned mathematics, astronomy, French and Latin in addition to drawing and engraving.

In 1706, she married a fellow pupil of her father, Johann Henrich Muller. Muller, who taught physics, was inspired by his wife and father-in-law's passion for astronomy and would become an amateur astronomer himself in time.

Unfortunately, Maria Clara Eimmart died during childbirth just one year after her marriage. She left behind an array of illustrations, including her notable drawings of moon phases and other astronomical bodies. Her highly detailed astronomical works were typically done using pastels on dark blue cardboard material. By the year 1700, she had amassed a total of over 350 drawings of the phrase of the moon, although only a handful survive today.  

A pastel drawing of a moon phase by Maria Clara Eimmart. Circa 1693-1698.

Even (Three) More Novels Inspired by Real 18th-Century Women

 Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

Even (Three) More Novels Inspired by Real 18th-Century Women

  Looking for a good book? If you're looking to dive into novels about real 18th-century women, you're in luck: this list is now my third list on novels inspired by the lives and times of real women living in the 18th century. If you've already checked out lists one and two, take a look at the list below for something else to add to your to-read pile!

The Doctor's Wife by Sawako Ariyoshi
Inspiration: Kae Seishū (1760–1827)

The Doctor's Wife focuses on Kae Seishū, the wife of Hanaoka Seishū, an 18th-century Japanese surgeon whose experiments with surgery and anesthesia led him to eventually become the first known physician in the world to perform breast cancer surgery using a general anesthetic. Kae's mother-in-law also plays a role, and although the novel does introduce a fictional conflict between the two women, its emphasis on their role--and sacrifice--in Seishū's work is a core theme of the work.

 

In Mozart's Shadow: Nannerl's Story by Carolyn Meyer
Inspiration: Maria Anna Mozart (1751-1829)

In Mozart's Shadow: Nannerl's Story explores the overlooked story of Maria Anna Mozart, the "other Mozart; her own musical skills and eventually her entire life were forever overshadowed by her prolific brother's work and lasting impact on the world. 

The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland
Inspiration: Hortense de Beauharnais (1783-1837)

Set at the end of the 18th century, 'The Game of Hope' focuses on the life of the teenage Hortense de Beauharnais--daughter of Josephine de Beauharnais and stepdaughter of Napoleon Bonaparte--as she navigates an uncertain future.

The Attributes of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and The Attributes of Music by Anne Vallayer-Coster

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

 

The Attributes of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture by Anne Vallayer-Coster, 1769.

Anne Vallayer-Coster (1744-1818) was a French painter who was--and is--best known for her still life paintings. Vallayer-Coster achieved significant fame and success, including an admission to the famed Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in 1770. She was only 26 years old at the time.

At the exhibition of 1771, where her admission paintings were displayed to the public, Denis Diderot would later note: "...if all new members of the Royal Academy made a showing like Mademoiselle Vallayer's, and sustained the same high level of quality, the Salon would look very different!

The two paintings featured in this post, titled The Attributes of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and the Attributes of Music, were the pair that she submitted to the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture--and it was their reception that earned her an unanimous election into the academy.

The Attributes of Music by Anne Valleyer-Coster, 1770.

Women's History Month: 'My Wish' by Mary Chandler (1687-1745)

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

Detail from The Trough by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1763-1765.

Mary Chandler, born in 1687, was the daughter of a dissenting minister named Henry Chandler and his wife, Mary Bridgeman. Mary Chandler had at least one brother, Samuel Chandler, who would become known for his own nonconformist views; Samuel Chandler would later write a biography of his sister, which was included in the book The Lives of the Poets, published several years after her death. 

From childhood, Mary Chandler enjoyed reading and creating poetry. She would often come up with riddles and verses to share with her friends. However, due to her family's station, Mary Chandler was required to start a trade and had to cut short her education. While she still a teenager, she opened a milliner's shop in Bath. In his biography of her, her brother wrote that she "was very early employed ... and incapable of receiving that polite and learned education which she often regretted the loss of, and which she afterwards endeavored to repair by diligently reading [and studying]."

She was not unknown in Bath's higher society circles, as she became acquainted with known society women such as Frances Seymour, the Duchess of Somerset. She was sometimes invited to her society friend's stately homes and allowed to 'retire,' as her brother would write, for a time, during which period she would often write. However, she needed to make a living, and she worked tirelessly at her milliners' shop for 35 years before retiring. She lived for 5 more years before dying at the age of 58 from an illness.

It is apt to end with the final words of her brother's biography, where he wrote:

"She was a good woman, a kind relation, and a faithful friend. She had a real genius for poetry, was a most agreeable correspondent, had a large fund of good sense, was unblemished in her character, lived highly esteemed, and died greatly lamented."

In her poem 'My WISH,' Chandler describes her ideal existence: a life where she is free to enjoy leisure, has the company of good neighbors, and otherwise is able to enjoy a carefree life.

It is easy to contrast her wish for such a worry-free, financially secure existence where she has no cares beyond enjoying the pleasures of life, nature, and friendship with her reality: a young teenager forced to abandon her education in order to begin a career, which she worked at for several decades before retiring relatively shortly before her death.

An interesting note: according to data from the CPI Inflation Calculator, the £100 per year that Chandler wished for would be equivalent to around £22,318.00 today. [This is using information from 1750, the earliest date that the CPI Inflation Calculator uses.]

My WISH

Mary Chandler (1687-1745)

text via The 18th Century Poetry Archive

Wou'd Heav'n indulgent grant my Wish
 For future Life, it shou'd be this;
 Health, Peace, and Friendship I wou'd share
 A Mind from Bus'ness free, and Care;
 A Soil that's dry in temp'rate Air;
 A Fortune from Incumbrance clear,
 About a Hundred Pounds a Year;
 A House not small, built warm and neat,
 Above a Hut, below a Seat;
 With Groops of Trees beset around,
 In Prospect of the lower Ground,
 Beneath the Summit of a Hill,
 From whence the gushing Waters trill,
 In various Streams and Windings flow
 To aid a River just below;
 At a small Distance from a Wood,
 And near some Neighbours wise and good;
 There would I spend my remnant Days,
 Review my Life, and mend my Ways.
I'd be some honest Farmer's Guest,
 That with a cleanly Wife is blest;
 A friendly Cleric shou'd be near,
 Whose Flock and Office were his Care;
 My Thoughts my own, my Time I'd spend
 In writing to some faithful Friend:
 Or on a Bank, by purling Brook,
 Delight me with some useful Book;
 Some Sage, or Bard, as Fancy led;
 Then ruminate on what I'd read.
Some moral Thoughts shou'd be my Theme,
 Or verdant Field, or gliding Stream;
 Or Flocks, or Herds, that Shepherds love;
 The Shepherds wou'd my Song approve.
No Flatt'ry base, nor baser Spite,
 Nor one loose Thought my Muse shou'd write;
 Nor vainly try unequal Flight.
Great George's Name let Poets sing,
 That rise on a sublimer Wing:
 I'd keep my Passions quite serene;
 My Person and Apartment clean;
 My Dress not slovenly, but mean.
Some Money still I'd keep in Store,
 That I might have to give the Poor;
 To help a Neighbour in Distress,
 I'd save from Pleasure, Food, and Dress.
I'd feed on Herbs, the limpid Spring
 Shou'd be my Helicon. — I'd sing;
 And be much happier than a King.
Thus calmly see my Sun decline;
 My Life and Manners thus refine.
And acting in my narrow Sphere,
 In chearful Hope, without one Care,
 I'd quit the World, nor wish a Tear.

Women's History Month: "They ruled society..."

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

"They ruled society, as women of the world; the empire of letters, as patronesses of the fine arts; the state, as favorites and advisers of kings. They gave the tone to feeling, philosophy and thought. Their caprice made wars, and signed treaties of peace. They hastened the fall of a Monarchy, and the outbreak of the greatest Revolution of modern times. They could attempt to check or direct that Revolution in its rapid and fearful course; they shared to the fullest extent its errors, its crimes, and its heroic virtues.

… Though the historians of the period have never fully or willingly acknowledged its existence, their silence cannot efface that which has been; and without that rule of woman, so reluctantly recognized, many of their pages of statesman’s policy, court intrigue, civil strife, or foreign war, need never have been written."

–Julia Kavanagh, Woman in France During the Eighteenth century, 1850

Women's History Month: A poem by Mah Laqa Bai (1768-1824)

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

[image: Mah Laqa Bai singing in the presence of Raja Rao Rambha Bahadur, 1799. Unknown artist.]

Mah Laqa Bai (originally Chanda Bibi) (1768-1824) was a respected, influential poet and courtesan. As a young girl, she was given an exemplary education and was invited into the inner circles of high ranking officials. She accompanied the second Nizam of the Hyderabad State into three wars, where she was well-known for her horseriding and archery skills; she was routinely awarded with lands, appointed to the highest circle of nobility, and given the honorary title Mah Laqa--which means "Visage of the Moon."

One of Mah Laqa Bai's most notable accomplishments was her poetry, which was well-received and published in several different collections. One collection, titled Diwan e Chanda, contained a stunning 125 ghazals. She became the first women to read her poems at a mushaira, or spoken poetic symposium, which was traditionally reserved for men. In some cases, she sung her poetry or sung poetry and songs written by other prominent courtiers and nobility. 

Upon her death, she left all her properties (which included copious amounts of jewelry, silver, gold and lands) to homeless women in Hyderabad.

This poem is from Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa, a collection of 39 ghazals written by Mah Laqa Bai; the collection was published in 1824, after her death.

 

Hoping to blossom (one day) into a flower

Hoping to blossom (one day) into a flower,
Every bud sits, holding its soul in its fist.

Between the fear of the fowler and (approaching) autumn,
The bulbul’s life hangs by a thread.

Thy sly glance is more murderous than arrow or sword;
It has shed the blood of many lover.

How can I like a candle to thy (glowing) cheek?
The candle is blind with the fat in its eyes.

How can Chanda be dry-lipped. O Saqi of the heavenly wine!
She has drained the cup of thy love 

 

Translated by Syed Sirajuddin; published in 'Women Writing in India: 600 B.C. to the early twentieth century,' edited by Susie J. Tharu and Ke Lalita.

4 (More) Novels Inspired by Real 18th-Century Women

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

4 (More) Novels Inspired by Real 18th-Century Women

If you've already read these 5 novels based on real 18th-century women and are looking for something different, check out these new (and old) novels based on the real lives and times of women living in the 18th century.

The Stargazer's Sister: A Novel by Carrie Brown 

Inspiration: Caroline Herschel (1750-1848)

The Stargazer's Sister: A Novel explores the life of Caroline Hershel, her extensive work alongside her brother, and the marriage that caused her once assured place in her brother's life (and alongside him in the conservatory) to be shaken.

Finding Emilie by Laurel Corona 

Inspiration: Lili and Émilie du Châtelet (1706-1749)

 The real Émilie du Châtelet died several days after giving birth, and her daughter Lili died before she was 2. In Finding Emilie, Laurel Corona has imagined what life might be have been for Lili, had she survived into adulthood, accompanied by excerpts from her mother Émilie's past.

Becoming Lisette by Rebecca Glenn 

Inspiration: Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun (1755-1842)

 Becoming Lisette is a fictionalized look at the youth and career of Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, from her early youth through her rise in fame as the favorite painter of Marie Antoinette.

The Lost Queen by Norah Lofts 

Inspiration: Princess Caroline-Matilda (1751-1775)

The Lost Queen is based on the tumultuous life of Caroline-Matilda, whose marriage to Christian VII led to a secret affair, behind the scenes political machinations, and ultimately disaster.

Women's History Month: "A Petition To April" by Susanna Blamire (1747-1794)

[image: A portrait of Susanna Blamire by Giacomo Cambruzzi, 18th century]

Susanna Blamire (1747-1794) was an English poet whose prolific and well-regarded poetry earned her the nickname the "Muse of Cumberland." Most of her poetry was publsihed after her death, but she did submit some of her works to public view. In addition to poetry, Blamire worte songs, including a song ("The Siller Croun") which was referenced in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop. In 1947, Scottish literary figure Hugh MacDiarmid said that Blamire's songs "can be set beside the best that have ever been produced by Scotsmen writing in their own tongue."

Blamire was frequently ill due to recurrent rheumatic heart disease. A few of her poems were marked as being written during periods of illness, including the below work which--fittingly, for Blamire and many of us in the world today--hopes for a renewed future in the coming spring.

A Petition to April, Written During Sickness, 1793

Sweet April! month of all the year
That loves to shed the dewy tear,
And with a soft but chilly hand
The silken leaves of flowers expand;
Thy tear--set eye shall I ne'er see
Weep o'er a sickly plant like me?
Thou art the nurse of infant flowers,
The parent of relenting showers;
Thy tears and smiles when newly born
Hang on the cheek of weeping Morn,
While Evening sighs in seeming grief
O'er frost--nipp'd bud or bursting leaf.
Once Pity held thee in her arms,
And, breathing all her gentle charms,
Bade thy meek smile o'ertake the tear,
And Hope break loose from trembling Fear;
Bade clouds that load the breast of Day
On melting Twilight weep away;
She bade thee, when the breezy Morn
Kiss'd the sweet gem that deck'd the thorn,
O'er the pale primrose softly pour
The nectar of a balmy shower;
And is the primrose dear to thee?
And wilt thou not give health to me?
See how I droop! my strength decays,
And life wears out a thousand ways;
Supporting friends their cordials give,
And wish, and hope, and bid me live;
With this short breath it may not be,
Unless thou lend'st a sigh to me.
O! fan me with a gentler breeze;
Invite me forth with busy bees;
And bid me trip the dewy lawn
Adorn'd with wild flowers newly blown;
O! do not sternly bid me try
The influence of a milder sky;
I know that May can weave her bower,
And spot, and paint, a richer flower;
Nor is her cheek so wan as thine;
Nor is her hand so cold as mine;
Nor bears she thy unconstant mind,
But ah! to me she ne'er was kind.
To thee I'll rear a mossy throne,
And bring the violet yet unblown;
Then teach it just to ope its eye,
And on thy bosom fondly die;
Embalm it in thy tears, and see
If thou hast one more left for me.
In thy pale noon no roses blow,
Nor lilies spread their summer snow;
Nor would I wish this time--worn cheek
In all the blush of health to break;
No; give me ease and cheerful hours,
And take away thy fairer flowers;
So may the rude gales cease to blow,
And every breeze yet milder grow,
Till I in slumber softly sleep,
Or wake but to grow calm and weep;
And o'er thy flowers in pity bend,
Like the soft sorrows of a friend. 

 

 

Women's History Month: 'Plum Flowers' by Seo Yeongsuhap (1753-1823)

 [image: Plum Tree Blooms by ForestWander/CC BY-SA 3.0 US, no changes]

Seo Yeongsuhap (1753-1823) was the daughter of a provincial governor and the wife of a royal official. She had three sons and one daughter; Yeongsuhap, her husband and all of her children were writers and much of their correspondence included or was done entirely in verse.

Yeongsuhap began writing poetry when she and her husband started to exchange correspondence in verse, during a period when he was posted in a rural province. Before her marriage, Yeongsuhap was already a lover of literature: by the time she was 15, she had already read many works, particularly Confucian classics. Her oldest son, Seokju, would later recall that "even by the bed she would speak of the ancients' proverbs and their beautiful deeds as if she were telling a story, and teach verses from the classics."

A collection of 192 poems written by Yeongsuhap was published after her death; the poems were included in the appendix of her husband's book, which also contained recollections from her sons about their mother.

The following poem, Plum Flowers, recalls a moment when as a young girl, Yeongsuhap saw beautiful plum flowers upon entering the house of a high government official.

Plum Flowers
[translation:Translated by Won-Jae Hur; published in The Poetic World of Classic Korean Women Writers, Volume 9]

My first step through the gate as a child
Plum flowers ready to bloom near the wall
Fragile pistils hung by the red rail
Here and there thin branches drooping over the green steps

I thought it was an official's splendid mansion
Yet it was as plain as a scholar's hut
Time has passed and speaks of ageing
Fragile flowers bloom on the remaining branches

You can read more about Yeongsuhap along with several of her poems in The Poetic World of Classic Korean Women Writers, Volume 9.

Women's History Month: Anastasia Robinson

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

[image: Engraving proof of Anastasia Robinson by John Faber the Younger, after a portrait bo John Vanderbgank. Circa 1727.]

Anastasia Robinson (c.1692-1755) was an English singer who became well-known for her work with the famous composer George Handel.

Robinson was the daughter of Thomas Robinson, a portrait painter. She received private musical tutoring from an early age and performed primarily at private concerts, where she would both play and sing. By the time she was in her early 20s, she was already associated with George Handel; in 1714, he wrote a solo soprano role in his composition 'Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne' specifically for Robinson. She joined Handel's company in 1714 and made an official debut in 'Creso,' a pasticcio (a type of composite performance).

In 1719, an unknown factor caused Robinson's voice to change. It was during this year that she began singing contralto roles, rather than her former soprano music. It was also during this period that her father's eyesight began failing and she decided to turn her talent into a profession that would bring in an income for herself and her family. She was hired into Handel's Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1720, and began earning £1000 a year for her work. She originated numerous roles in Handel's most famous operas. In 1722 or 173, she secretly married Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough; although they were married, he did not acknowledge her publicly as his wife, and she was viewed as his mistress until 1735 when he finally acknowledged their marriage.

Her most famous role was that of Cornelia in Handel's dramatic Giulio Cesare, which would become his most well-regarded and today, most frequently performed work. Cornelia's arias and music for this work are some of the most moving in Handel's entire repertoire, and one must imagine the faith Handel had in Robinson to

Although it would be her most famous role, Robinson retired shortly after the premiere of Giulio Cesare. Although she retired from the professional stage, she was still involved in the world of music and theater; her home in Parsons Green, which she lived on with her retirement earnigs as well as money from her secret husband, became a hub for musicians to train and perform.

After the death of her husband in 1735, she began living at his family residence; she died in 1755.

One of the most moving moments in for Cornelia in Giulio Cesare is Priva son d'ogni conforto, her Act I aria. Cornelia was foiled in her attempted suicide, which she attempted after the murder of her husband, and in this aria expresses her sadness and grief.

Women's History Month: Read 'The Eighteenth-Century Woman' by Olivier Bernier for Free

Women's History Month: A month celebrating women of history! I will be posting media and book recommendations, highlighting women from (mostly) the 18th century, and otherwise sharing content with an emphasis on women in history.

The Eighteenth-Century Woman by Olivier Bernier is a series of essays about fourteen 18th-century woman--ranging from empresses to milliners and in between--who, through lofty political positions or steadfast determination, changed the world around them.

This book is available to read and download for free from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

Women's History Month: Ma Quan, Qing-era Artist

Ma Quan (馬荃) was a Qing-era painter who was active during the 18th century. Ma Quan was a female artist who began selling her artwork in order to relieve the financial hardship she and her husband, fellow painter Gong Kehe, experienced. Her work quickly became popular and in-demand.

Her paintings were known for their defined, fine brushstrokes and their depictions of "ordinary" flowers, birds and insects; this was in contrast to the paintings more often seen by women of the imperial court, which depicted rare flowers and gardens exclusive to the imperial estates.  Tai Zuyong, another Qing-era artist, would later say that Ma Quan's work held 'alluring brushwork of serene interest.'

After her husband died, Ma Quan moved back to her home province of Jiangsu and continued selling her artwork in addition to teaching female students. Ma Quan painted usnig the Gouran style of painting, which involved applying colors after first sketching with ink.



The existing works of Ma Quan are spread at various museums and private collections throughout the world. The following are some highlights of her portfolio, which spanned several decades.

'Colored Flower,' unknown date. This painting is held in the collection of Shenzhen Museum.

Flowers and Butterflies, unknown date. This piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Flowers, unknown date. These pieces, formerly in the private collection of Imai Takudo, were auctioned by Christi'es in November 2012.

Women's History Month (and!) Music Monday: Francesca Lebrun's Sonatas

Introducing Music Monday: a day for contemporary music, soundtracks and other tunes related to Marie Antoinette.

 

image: 'Madame Lebrun' by Thomas Gainsborough, 1780

Francesca Lebrun, née Francesca Danzi, was a German singer and composer born on March 24th, 1756. Lebrun's family legacy is inseparable with music: her mother was a dancer, her father was a cellist, her brother was the composer and cellist Franz Danzi; she married the musician and composer Ludwig August Lebrun, and both Francesa's daughters--and at least a few of her grandchildren--would also be singers or musicians in their own right.

Franesca made her first public singing debut at the age of 16; the performance was a success, and just one year later she was already working with the Mannheim Opera. Her roles over the next four years included a role composed specifically for her voice: that of Anna in Ignaz Holzbauer's Günther von Schwarzburg, an opera about the titular German king. After her marriage in 1778, she and her husband toured Europe, which included stops in Milan, Paris and London.

In addition to performing, Lebrun composed music. Twelve of the sonatas she composed have survived, and half of these were recorded by Solo Luminus studio. The recording is available for listening on YouTube.

 

Franscesa died on May 14th, 1791, just 5 months after the death of her husband; she was only 35 years old. 

International Women's Day: "To all brave women."

International Women's Day: March 8th, 2020

 

The dedication from Marie Antoinette: The Tragic Queen by Dorothy Moulton Mayer: 

 

 [image: my photo]