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Thursday 5 November 2026
‘Art Her Story: British Women Artists and Patrons’
Dr Amy Lim

At the Phoenix, Exeter Half day with two lectures and coffee. 

Long overshadowed in art history by their male peers, historical women are finally getting their due. As both patrons and artists women played an important part in the visual arts of early-modern England.  We will rediscover some forgotten names and take a fresh look at familiar faces. 

New research has shown that the patronage of women has been considerably underestimated.  Women in late Stuart England commissioned important works of art and architecture, even though married women's property automatically belonged to their husbands. Women artists too were bold and resourceful in tackling the obstacles they faced. From the Tudor courts to the great exhibitions of the late-nineteenth century, we will see how women artists such as Elizabeth Butler, Henrietta Rae and Angelica Kauffman, whose self portrait is above, fought against society’s expectations and institutional restrictions to forge successful careers. 


Dr Amy Lim, our lecturer today, is an art historian and curator, specialising in British fine and decorative arts from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. She has curated and contributed to numerous exhibitions, including British Baroque: Power and Illusion (Tate, 2020), and Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain, 1520-1920 (Tate, 2024.) She has degrees in History, and Literature & Arts from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and has published articles and essays on a variety of art-related topics from gothic garden monuments to female patronage. 


Programme :

  • Registration 9.30–10.00am – Phoenix - Workshop Room on Ground Floor
  • 1st lecture session 10am–1.00am
  • Coffee/tea 11.00–11.30am
  • 2nd lecture session with time for questions 11.30–12.45

Cost - £30 to include tea and coffee.

Click here for a booking form


Thursday 18 March 2027
‘How were Legends & Folklore of the period used by Victorian & Edwardian artists’.
Kirsty Hartsiotis

Thursday March 18th 2027

Kirsty Hartsiotis

‘How were Legends & Folklore of the period

used by Victorian & Edwardian artists’.

SAVE the date!  Details and form to follow 

Click here for previous events

05 November 2026‘Art Her Story: British Women Artists and Patrons’
18 March 2027‘How were Legends & Folklore of the period used by Victorian & Edwardian artists’.

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‘Art Her Story: British Women Artists and Patrons’ Dr Amy Lim Thursday 05 November 2026

At the Phoenix, Exeter Half day with two lectures and coffee. 

Long overshadowed in art history by their male peers, historical women are finally getting their due. As both patrons and artists women played an important part in the visual arts of early-modern England.  We will rediscover some forgotten names and take a fresh look at familiar faces. 

New research has shown that the patronage of women has been considerably underestimated.  Women in late Stuart England commissioned important works of art and architecture, even though married women's property automatically belonged to their husbands. Women artists too were bold and resourceful in tackling the obstacles they faced. From the Tudor courts to the great exhibitions of the late-nineteenth century, we will see how women artists such as Elizabeth Butler, Henrietta Rae and Angelica Kauffman, whose self portrait is above, fought against society’s expectations and institutional restrictions to forge successful careers. 


Dr Amy Lim, our lecturer today, is an art historian and curator, specialising in British fine and decorative arts from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. She has curated and contributed to numerous exhibitions, including British Baroque: Power and Illusion (Tate, 2020), and Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain, 1520-1920 (Tate, 2024.) She has degrees in History, and Literature & Arts from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and has published articles and essays on a variety of art-related topics from gothic garden monuments to female patronage. 


Programme :

  • Registration 9.30–10.00am – Phoenix - Workshop Room on Ground Floor
  • 1st lecture session 10am–1.00am
  • Coffee/tea 11.00–11.30am
  • 2nd lecture session with time for questions 11.30–12.45

Cost - £30 to include tea and coffee.

Click here for a booking form