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Audio

Brilliant Women exhibition banner

Conference| Publication

Exhibition: The Bluestocking circle| Celebrating Modern Muses| A Revolution in Female Manners

Audio

Hear readings from a selection of letters, poems and books written by or about the women who feature in the exhibition. Alternatively, please download the full textual transcript.

Download the entire Brilliant Women podcast in iTunes

Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson), by and published by John Raphael Smith, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, published 10 April 1776 (1775) - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson)
by and published by John Raphael Smith, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
published 10 April 1776 (1775)
NPG D13746

Hear about the meetings of the Bluestocking Circle

Bluestocking Conversation Parties
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Hannah More, by Edward Scriven, published by Thomas Cadell the Younger, after Frances Reynolds, published 4 June 1838 (1780) - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Hannah More
by Edward Scriven, published by Thomas Cadell the Younger, after Frances Reynolds
published 4 June 1838 (1780)
NPG D13788

Discover how women had to remain virtuous while being able to explore new possibilities for self improvement

Women, Virtue and Learning
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Elizabeth Carter, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1788-1789 - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Elizabeth Carter
by Sir Thomas Lawrence
1788-1789
NPG 28

Hear about how intellectual and emotional friendship between women formed the foundation of bluestocking culture

Female Friendship
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Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo, by Richard Samuel, 1778 - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo
by Richard Samuel
1778
NPG 4905

Discover more about the Living Muses of Great Britain in print and in paint

The Living Muses of Great Britain
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Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson); Anna Letitia Barbauld (née Aikin), after Thomas Holloway, published 1 July 1776 - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson); Anna Letitia Barbauld (née Aikin)
after Thomas Holloway
published 1 July 1776
NPG D4458

An introduction to discover the eighteenth-century fashion for biographies of illustrious intellectual women

Celebrating Intellectual Women
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Mary Wollstonecraft, by John Chapman, after Unknown artist, published 1798 - NPG - © National Portrait Gallery, London

Mary Wollstonecraft
by John Chapman, after Unknown artist
published 1798
NPG D7842

Hear about the changing attitudes to intellectual women and the demise of the bluestockings

Revolution, Representation and Reputation
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