Women
in Museums

Have you ever wondered why so many of the images of women that we see in museums are nudes? Or why there are so few women artists? Or what role women have played in the history of art?

Museums are created to show art, but they are also an invaluable place to hold conversations where critical thinking takes place on subjects such as current affairs, tolerance, gender equality, creative thinking, politics, human rights and more. Every day of our lives, we come into contact with seemingly innocuous images that are in fact ideologically driven. Adverts in the Underground or on TV, photos in the press and Hollywood movies all transmit ideas about issues such as gender, class, nationality and ethnicity. It is very easy to remain oblivious to the effects these can have on society, as such images from the media and popular culture tend to be consumed in a state of distraction. A visit to a gallery can be a similar experience for the untrained eye. The gallery bombards us with so many images that it can be hard to take in anything at all, let alone to look at the works from a critical standpoint. 

Our contemporary visual culture, from ads to films, is highly influenced by the canon of art history and, through this, the predominant ‘gaze’ of Western patriarchy and its ways of representing the world. Yes, art from the past can be beautiful, but it is also telling us some often quite uncomfortable things. There is a lot to be gained from examining pictures in galleries to see how they can be relevant to issues in contemporary society, as well as to our own personal experiences. Our workshops concentrate on visual literacy: learning how to look at and ‘read’ artworks and, by extension, all manner of images that we see day to day. Aiming to escape a passive reception and acceptance of art, we promote the act of looking as an active, critical dialogue.

We will highlight some well-known and lesser-known paintings and provide a platform for dialogue on the gender-related issues that they bring to light – from beauty contests to war violence to motherhood.

We will develop and put into practice our visual literacy, and will walk away looking at the images that surround us every day – from blockbuster movies to adverts on the tube – in a very different way!

We welcome everyone, irrespective of gender, age, background… 

We can’t wait to hear your perspectives and re-think the history of art with you!

 

 

A wonderful, inspiring session in the ceramic rooms at the Victoria and Albert Museum for Spanish speakers.

During the visit, we will learn about the unique relationship between women and clay throughout history. We will discover the rarely-discussed, yet fundamental role of ceramics in British society and we will discuss its role in our own lives as women and, above all, as individuals.

Get in touch to reserve a tour. Online conferences are also available.
"Women at the gallery exceeded my expectations. We had an uncommon group of all women and the conversations that sparked from our tour will stick with me for a long time. I️ have gushed to many already about how well thought out this experience is. Jessica was our lead and she thoughtfully guided our conversations surrounding 7 paintings (and beyond). You will not regret joining this tour and opening your mind to another lens that should be talked and seen more often. Thank you Jessica and Maria for creating such a wonderful AirBnB experience! Love from Canada <3."
Chrissy
Visitor
"The tour was a great way to spend some time in London. The National Gallery is really big and can be pretty daunting trying to figure out where to start. The tour was a really great way to learn about paintings of and by women in the Gallery in a more personal setting.''
Lauren
Teacher
"Excellent and refreshing tour of the National Gallery. It gives a different perspective of the paintings and the history and stories behind them. It opened my eyes to the feminine point of view and role in the history of art and the silencing that women have endured and still endure. It has changed forever the way that I look at art and life in general. I really recommend it to everybody, regardless of gender."
Arturo
Visitor

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