Trotula's Place Setting

Trotula of Salerno was an eleventh century Italian doctor who is frequently known as the world's first gynecologist.  Her place setting at The Dinner Party contains references to her role as a doctor with childbirth and care-taking.  The runner was made to look like a quilt, and therefore symbolize a swaddling cloth, creating a visual to the familiar baby blanket.  The tree of life image in the runner highlights Trotula's specialization in gynecology as it symbolizes life and regeneration.  Trotula's plate features a birthing image as well as serpentine imagery that resembles the symbol for medicine.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bernard Leach Pottery

Image
            This is a Bernard Leach ceramic piece. This marmalade jar was painted blue and has brown designs over a cream ground. The rim is thin and has a notch for a spoon which I thought was useful for its purpose.  I enjoy the contemporary design and the simple shape of the jar. The brush work of the glaze gives the piece a sophisticated look and feel to it, which I enjoyed. 
Read more

Assassination of a Famous Nut Artist, 1971

Image
Robert Arneson was definitely a very unique artist than most who wasn't afraid to expose the vulgarity and honesty of reality. In this sculpture, he voices his political views of being a "vehicle" for anger and pain. He once said, " I want to make high art that is funny, outrageous and also reveals the human condition, which is not always high.”
Read more

Judy Chicago Dinner Party Plate

Image
The plate above was made by Judy Chicago and was included in the dinner party. The Dinner Party was multi-faceted in that her goal was to introduce the richness of women’s heritage into the culture in a number of ways which included a monumental work of art. The work of art, that was eventually housed at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, consists of a series of Entryway Banners, the ceremonial table representing 39 important historical female figures, the Heritage Panels, which elucidate the contributions of the 999 women on the Heritage Floor, and the Acknowledgement Panels that identify Judy Chicago’s assistants and collaborators. Together, these components celebrate the many aspects of women’s history and contributions. This plate was dedicated to Elizabeth Blackwell, who was notable for being the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. I like this piece due to the stacking and different colors used.
Read more