Opening this weekend: “Madonnas of the Prairie: Depictions of Women in the American West” In the mid-nineteenth century artists often depicted women as victims, passive observers, or merely passengers in the settlement of the American West. Some artists chose to portray Western women in the guise of a “Madonna” figure, based on Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary. Conversely, Western artists portrayed American Indian women more honestly, revealing the harshness of their lives of unceasing toil. Others described women in the West as beautiful objects to be admired, with no true role to play except to stand in the doorway or by the corral gate watching their men ride away. Using the PPHM permanent collection as the foundation, “Madonnas of the Prairie: Depictions of Women in the American West” will draw on public and private collections from across the United States to examine these type depictions juxtaposed with images of western women as protagonists. This exhibition will open on Saturday, April 12, 2014 in the Foran Art Gallery and will continue through August 30, 2014. You do not want to miss seeing this! This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 16:30:00 +0000
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