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Artistic accomplishment was an important social and
cultural skill for young women of the elite and
aristocratic classes in the eighteenth century.
Georgiana Keate, the subject of this book, is an
example of just such an accomplished young woman.
Using the previously unknown diaries of Georgiana,
and other contemporary sources, to reconstruct her
life and to illustrate her artistic education, this
book compares her experience with other young women
of her class at this time. Also considered are
Georgiana s experiences with professional and amateur
artists of this period such as Angelica Kauffman and
Mary Delany, together with her connections within the
artistic and literary circles of this time. Integral
to her artistic endeavours is her father, the amateur
artist and poet George Keate. Her marriage to the
amateur artist John Henderson caused upset within the
family, but Georgiana happily swapped her artistic
life for that of wife and mother. This overview of a
female amateur artist should be of interest to
students of art, social and women s history of the
18th and 19th centuries.

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Artistic accomplishment was an important social and cultural skill for young women of the elite and aristocratic classes in the eighteenth century. Georgiana Keate, the subject of this book, is an example of just such an accomplished young woman. Using the previously unknown diaries of Georgiana, and other contemporary sources, to reconstruct her life and to illustrate her artistic education, this book compares her experience with other young women of her class at this time. Also considered are Georgiana´´s experiences with professional and amateur artists of this period such as Angelica Kauffman and Mary Delany, together with her connections within the artistic and literary circles of this time. Integral to her artistic endeavours is her father, the amateur artist and poet George Keate. Her marriage to the amateur artist John Henderson caused upset within the family, but Georgiana happily swapped her artistic life for that of wife and mother. This overview of a female amateur artist should be of interest to students of art, social and women´´s history of the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Susan Bennett is writing a biography of Georgiana Henderson (nee
Keate). She was employed by the RSA in the role of
Archivist/Curator for nearly 25 years and is researching networks
in the Society´s membership from 1754-1900 for a PhD at King´s
College London. She is also Honorary Secretary of the William
Shipley Group for RSA History.

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