16-02 Restoration England - The Power of Beauty

It is 1660, the English Civil War is over and the experiment with the Commonwealth has left the country confused. When Charles II was invited back to England as King he brought new French styles and sexual conduct with him. In particular, he introduced the French idea of the publicly accepted mistress. Beautiful women who could attract the eye of the king could become his mistress and influence appointments at Court and political debate.

The new freedoms introduced by the Reformation Court spread through society. Women could act for the first time, write books and one was the first British scientist. However, it was a male dominated society and so these heroic women had to fight against established norms and laws.

This talk examines the power and influence of one group of women and they way they were represented in art through an examination of the Windsor Beauties painted by Sir Peter Lely and now at Hampton Court Palace.

This is the same lecturer as 'The Windsor Beauties' but given to a different audience and I included both so each audience could see the lecture they had received.

Full PDF notes are available on my website at https://www.shafe.co.uk/wp-content/up...