Undisciplined Women

The artists’ brief for the two Gibside commissions focuses on the shocking and unhappy story of the Countess of Strathmore, Mary Eleanor Bowes. In an age where scurrilous rumours were rife, Mary Eleanor’s life provided rich material for the journals and scandalmongers of Georgian society (as illustrated here in James Gillray’s cartoon).

‘From the midst of all the torments that Mary Eleanor was subjected to in her life I wanted to find something to focus on that was a positive force to counteract her place in history as the ‘Unhappy Countess,’ victim of abuse and society gossip’, writes artist Fiona Curran on her project blog, Undisciplined Women. Follow her blog to discover how Fiona’s commission for Gibside will unfold.

Last modified: Tue, 05 Dec 2017 10:00:38 GMT