Appel à communication: 2 ECR French 19th-Century Network Events (online, 23 Mar-26 Apr 23)

[1] Expanding the Discourse: Gender & Queerness in Nineteenth-Century France

March 23, 2023, 16:00–18:00 BST

In nineteenth-century France, the habitual exclusion of artists from cultural organizations and gatherings on the basis of gender did not preclude their artistic endeavors. But, as has been widely recognized, this disparity of treatment naturally presented a significant barrier. In the mid-century, for example, ‘animalière’ Rosa Bonheur was one of the few women artists to enjoy profound commercial success, yet she still had to request permission from the government to wear pants or risk punishment. Even today, her sexuality remains a subject of controversy. Considering questions of gender, gender expression, and sexuality encourages us to move beyond binary and heteronormative modes of thinking and explore new avenues of research. What visual codes were used to signify queerness in the nineteenth century? How could artists (overtly or implicitly) subvert traditional ideas about gender and sexuality in their work? This network session will pursue these questions and more to address the roles played by gender and queerness in nineteenth-century visual culture.

Applicants, please submit your proposal to info@ecrfrenchart.com by February 22. We will respond by March 1.

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[2] Power & Spectacle in France, 1800–1850

April 27, 2023, 16:00–18:00 BST

French art in the early half of the Nineteenth-Century was often concerned with Power & Spectacle, from Ingres’ Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne (1806) that sought to visualise monachal power to the caricatures of Honoré Daumier and Charles Philipon, in the example of Les Poires (1831), that looked to critique it. How was power and spectacle visualised and represented in the first half of the Nineteenth-Century in France? Questions and themes that may be explored might include in what ways was power and spectacle constructed or deconstructed in the visual culture in the first half of the nineteenth-century? How might power have been represented in the domestic sphere or in early advertising? How was Baron Eugène Haussmann’s developments and changes to Paris in the 1850s about power and spectacle and how was this explored in visual culture?

Applicants, please submit your proposal (200 words max.) to info@ecrfrenchart.com by March 22. We will respond by March 31.