This is a past event
A conversation with Dr Mary Pryor and Dr Helen Pierce
The Aberdeen Sibyls are a series of paintings, presented to King’s College in 1641 by Principal William Guild, depicting ten female prophets from the ancient world who predicted the birth and life of Jesus Christ. The work of the Aberdonian painter George Jamesone, the Sibyls were displayed in the University’s Common Hall, and were a familiar sight to students and staff. By the early 1760s, however, they were badly in need of repair, and with the surface of the paintings “almost quite gone” Jamesone’s great-great-grandson Cosmo Alexander was hired to restore them. In this conversation, we will discuss this eighteenth-century “glow-up”, and what modern research into the Aberdeen Sibyls has revealed about female beauty standards and ideals from the past.
Dr Helen Pierce Dr Mary Pryor
- Join us in the Gallery in the Sir Duncan Rice Library (Ground Floor).
- All welcome.
Part of International Women's Day and the 'Striking Impressions' events programme.
- Hosted by
- University of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections
- Venue
- The Gallery
- Contact
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Booking is recommended but we also welcome drop-in on the day.
If you would like further information, please email uoacollections@abdn.ac.uk