Essential Information
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Wednesday 12 July | 1pm-1.30pm |
| Prices | Free |
The Pacific had a powerful pull on the 18th-century Western imagination. This is most evident in the depictions of islands like Tahiti and New Zealand, amongst many others, as tropical paradises by some of Britain’s leading painters.
In order to create this image of an idyllic haven, however, the inhabitants of the islands also needed to be shaped to Western tastes.
This talk will explore how the presentation of the women of these islands contributed to the romanticising of the Pacific. This talk is inspired by the National Portrait Gallery's recent acquisition of Omai by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
!['View of the Province of Oparree [Pare], Island of Otaheite, with part of the Island of Eimeo [Moorea]' by William Hodges](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_1440/public/2023-05/bhc1936%20Hodges.jpg?itok=k388ppaY)
About the speaker
Layla Davis is Assistant Curator at Dr Johnson’s House. She read History at King’s College London, followed by a Masters in Medieval History, with a specific focus on late medieval women in northern Italy and iconography. She is currently completing a Masters in Museum Cultures at Birkbeck, with a curatorial placement at Royal Museums Greenwich.
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A Sea of Faces
This talk is part of ‘A Sea of Faces’, a series of events celebrating portraiture. Royal Museums Greenwich hold the third largest collection of portraits in the UK. Strengths of our collection include naval and royal portraits, but there are also many unexpected gems.
Royal Museums Greenwich is taking part in 'Portrait Mode' with the National Portrait Gallery throughout June and July. The National Portrait Gallery is encouraging everyone to get into 'Portrait Mode' this summer to mark the reopening of the Gallery on 22 June following a major transformation project.
What’s On
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