Join art historian and best-selling author Amy Dempsey for a thoughtful exploration of the history of art through the female form, joined in conversation by artist and photography historian Caroline Douglas.
From the Renaissance to the present day, this illustrated talk examines over 80 works of art to consider how the female body has reflected - and shaped - the cultural and social ideas of its time. What do these images tell us about the societies that produced them and how have their meanings changed over time?
The discussion brings together artists including Tracey Emin, Gustav Klimt, Lee Miller and Marina Abramović, alongside Sandro Botticelli, Leonor Fini, Barkley L. Hendricks, Graciela Iturbide, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Hayv Kahraman, Zanele Muholi and Yuki Kihara.
A thought provoking exploration of beauty, identity, power and resistance - and a fresh perspective on art history itself.
Amy Dempsey
Amy Dempsey is an art historian who studied at Hunter College in New York and received her doctorate from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, she is the author of the international bestseller Styles, Schools & Movements: The Essential Encyclopaedic Guide to Modern Art, alongside Destination Art and several monographs. She has also written three titles in Thames & Hudson’s Art Essentials series, including Modern Art and Surrealism.
Caroline Douglas
Caroline Douglas is an artist and historian of early photography whose research explores gender, class and colour in photographic history. She completed a PhD by practice at the Royal College of Art in 2024 and is the inaugural recipient of the Royal Scottish Academy Elizabeth Lornie Photography Award. A Lecturer in Fine Art Photography at The Glasgow School of Art, she exhibits internationally and was elected an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2025.
The talk begins at 19.00 and lasts approximately 1 hour, followed by a Q&A.
The book The Female Body in Art, along with a range of other titles from Tate Publishing, will be available to purchase on the night.
A book signing with Amy Dempsey will take place in the Starr Cinema foyer after the event. Books bought in advance with tickets will be given out on arrival on the night.
Food and drink are not permitted in the cinema. The Corner Bar will be open before and after the event.
All Tate Modern entrances are step-free. You can enter via the Turbine Hall and into the Natalie Bell Building on Holland Street, or into the Blavatnik Building on Sumner street. There are lifts to every floor of the Blavatnik and Natalie Bell buildings. Alternatively you can take the stairs.
- Fully accessible toilets are located on every floor on the concourses.
- A quiet room is available to use in the Natalie Bell Building on Level 4.
- Ear defenders can be borrowed from the Ticket desks.
To help plan your visit to Tate Modern, have a look at our visual story. It includes photographs and information about what you can expect from a visit to the gallery.
For more information before your visit:
- Email hello@tate.org.uk
- Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (daily 10.00–17.00)
