Women and Cultures of Portraiture in the British Literary Renaissance

Were Renaissance women merely the silent subjects of the images of themselves they witnessed circulating in the visual cultures around them? Or did they have the opportunity to challenge these figurations?This collection of interdisciplinary essays examines the representation of women at the intersections between portraiture, literature and drama in Renaissance Britain.It explores how power, politics, patronage, agency and creativity were manifested across text, cultural inscription and ‘portraiture’ - defined in its broadest sense as a cultural artefact expressive of female image and identity.Forms of ‘portraiture’ discussed in this vibrant collection include portraits, miniatures, engravings, sculptures, embroideries, tapestries, murals, emblems, illuminated manuscripts, reliquaries, curated collections, theatrical props, calligraphy and other decorative features. Bringing together art historians, curators, heritage specialists and scholars of early modern history, drama and literatu