NGV senior curator Dr Ted Gott, in an exclusive talk just for NGV Members, delves into the fascinating world of Henrietta Rae, who developed a reputation in late nineteenth-century Britain as a highly accomplished painter of classical and allegorical subjects, frequently rendered on a large scale.
Apollo and Daphne, a tour-de-force mythological set piece, was Rae’s contribution to the Royal Academy exhibition of 1895, and has just been acquired for the NGV Collection.
Throughout her career Rae had to withstand frequent criticisms of her work delivered by Pre-Raphaelite male rivals such as Frederick Leighton and John Millais, which may have been in response to her strong support of feminist causes and women’s suffrage.
In celebration of Apollo and Daphne entering the NGV Collection, Members can hear the story behind the work and learn about the artist’s relationship to the Pre-Raphaelite circle.
Speaker
Dr Ted Gott is Senior Curator of International Art at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). He has curated and co-curated more than 25 exhibitions, including Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire, Napoleon: Revolution to Empire, and most recently co-curated QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection and Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi. He has published widely on Australian, British and French art, and in 2013 co-authored a cultural history of the gorilla in nineteenth and twentieth century art, literature, scientific discourse and cinema (Gorilla, Reaktion Press, London).
This program is part of a new series of talks just for NGV Members. Book into one, or purchase a series ticket to attend all three and receive a 10% discount.
Cleopatra and the Case of the Missing Pearl
Sat 22 Feb, 12-1PM
Pre-Raphaelites and their Prey – Henrietta Rae
Sat 22 Mar, 12-1PM
Stories from Conservation – Discovering a Long-Lost Frederick McCubbin
Sat 3 May, 12-1PM
Auslan interpretation available on request. Please email your request to programs@ngv.vic.gov.au, allowing a minimum of one week’s notice.