From Maidservant to Anomalous Aristocrat: Imaging and Imagining Dido Elizabeth Belle

The double portrait of cousins, entitled, Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray, is truly an anomaly in 18th century British art. Depicting two aristocratic women, one back and one white, the painting inspired the 2014 film, Belle. Incorporating the fancy and flair of period dramas, the creators of Belle fabricated a largely fictional account, envisioning Dido with a generous measure of agency and influence despite being black and female. This is evident in the portrait revealed in the movie. Though the original painting and film version are nearly identical, this presentation examines the two, considering the implications of the alterations made in the latter.

Friday Forum Spring quarter 2017 Schedule:

Fridays 12:30-2pm
Humanities 1 Room 202

A weekly interdisciplinary colloquium series for sharing graduate research across the humanities. Join us for light refreshments and weekly presentations by your fellow graduate students.

April 21, 2017: Jaclyn N. Schultz, History

April 28, 2017: Baizhu Chen, Economics

May 5, 2017: Danielle Crawford, Literature

May 12, 2017: Kristen Laciste, HAVC

May 19, 2017: Kara Hisatake, Literature

May 26, 2017: Yuki Obayashi, Literature

June 2, 2017: Angela Nguyen, Psychology