Shining some much-deserved spotlight on some incredible women… 

Want to broaden your knowledge of art history? Besides reading books, watching videos online or doing your own (Google) research, these art history lessons in Dubai need to be on your radar.

Led by Rose Balston, a London and Dubai-based art historian, speaker, guide and TV presenter for the BBC and Sky Arts, the Putting the Record Straight: The Lost Women of Art History series will illustrate the relentless determination, inspiring life stories, and above all, the innovative and groundbreaking art of female artists from the 16th through to the 18th century.

These inspiring women have not only been side-lined but shockingly blocked out of history.

Backed by her strong communication skills, and extensive academic research, Balston strips away the stuffy academic lingo and pretentious ‘art-speak’ and translates art into something people of all ages can understand.

Rose Balston

Speaking on the topic, Balston says, “As a woman, as the mother of a daughter, and as an art historian, it is impossible not to feel passionately indignant about the fate of these highly talented female artists from our past. Their stories are extraordinary, their art revolutionary. For me, they are beacons of inspiration for our world and our continuing fight for gender equality.”

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The Chess Game by Sofonisba Anguissola

Expect to learn about Sofonisba Anguissola – one of the first women artists to establish an international reputation to Rosalba Carriera – one of the most successful woman artists of any era, Artemisia Gentileschi – a female artist who broke the odds and became the first woman at the Florence Academy of Fine Art and many more.

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Want to be enlightened? The art history lessons take place every other Wednesday from September 11 to December 4, 2024, at Society Dubai, Jumeirah 1. The 90-minute session begins at 11am and ends at 12.30pm.

Here are the topics the seven-part series will explore:

Vigee Lebrun-cropped

Blazing the Trail: Sofonisba Anguissola: September 11
The Secret Renaissance: The Women of Bologna: September 25
Artemisia Gentileschi: Art and Power: October 9
Women Who Shaped the Dutch Golden Age: Legacy Reclaimed: October 23
Rococo Rock Star: Rosalba Carriera: November 6
In the Court of Versailles: Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun and Adélaïde Labille-Guiard: November 20
Angelica Kauffman: Prodigy, Pioneer: December 4

Ticket details

If you’re looking to expand your art history knowledge, book your spot here. It’s Dhs250 per session.

Want to sit in on them all? It’s Dhs1,650 for all seven sessions.

However, if you book your sessions before August 30, it will cost Dhs200, and you can get the bundle package for Dhs1,320. Use the code ‘LAUNCH20’ before you hit the checkout button.

Remember, seats are limited, so make those bookings as soon as possible.

rosebalston.com

Images: Supplied