"Artfully Dressed: Women in the Art World", Volume V: Curators & Directors

ARTFULLY DRESSED: Women in the Art World

ARTFULLY DRESSED

Women in the Art World Portraits by Carla van de Puttelaar

Volume V: Curators & Directors 5

ARTFULLY DRESSED: Women in the Art World

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Unless stated otherwise, copyright in this catalogue (including content and design) is owned by Carla van de Puttelaar and The Weiss Gallery.

All images Š 2018 Carla van de Puttelaar You may not reproduce, adapt, modify, communicate to the public, reproduce or otherwise use any part of this catalogue without the express written permission from Carla van de Puttelaar and The Weiss Gallery. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS Loie DeVore Acevedo, 167 Kate Anderson, 171 Saskia Asser, 173 Mariama Attah, 177 Ronni Baer PhD, 179 Maria Balshaw, 181 Jo Baring, 183 Antonia Boström PhD, 185 Isolde De Buck, 187 Yvette van Caldenborgh, 189 Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho, 191 Trudie Rosa de Carvalho, 193 Cassie Davies-Strodder, 195 Annemarie den Dekker, 197 Claire van den Donk, 199 Clare Freestone, 201 Emilie Gordenker PhD, 203 Sabina Jaskot-Gill PhD, 205 Hanna Klarenbeek PhD, 207 Lidewij de Koekkoek PhD, 209 Marloes Krijnen, 211 Catharine MacLeod, 213 Amparo Martinez-Russotto, 215 Renée Mussai, 217 Anna Reynolds, 221 Jennifer Scott, 223 Lisa Small, 225 Sophia Thomassen, 227 Ingrid Trijzelaar, 229 Salma Tuqan, 231 Marta Weiss PhD, 233 Zoe Whitley PhD, 235 Marjory E. Wieseman PhD, 239

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Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Loie DeVore Acevedo Loie was raised outside of Boston. Her father, an architect and her mother, an art educator, naturally encouraged her awareness and appreciation of view, colour, form and perhaps most significantly how they were all affected by light. Her parents set the course. As a student she spent a summer in Rome studying antiquities and the baroque. She returned from the trip committed to studying Art History and her commitment to the ever widening world and its timeless history of art forms took permanent root. Before graduating, she secured her first job with a gallery on Madison Ave, dealing in 19th century American Art – an area she hadn’t studied, but quickly learned through immersion, which would be the type of education that would define her career. Through that gallery, she met her former husband who ran the gallery across the street, dealing in everything and anything he chose to collect: pure gold artifacts from a tomb in Columbia; a houseful of Chippendale furniture; a collection of American paintings; a treasure trove of deco jewellery; a horde of Sioux accoutrements; a warehouse of original comic book drawings… an unidentified old master. When something wonderfully mysterious arrived, Loie’s ardent studies continued and as more and more passed through her hands and before her eyes – her connoisseurship developed a focus.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

Currently, I have assumed the task of working alongside curators, foundations, boards and dealers to curate events and occasions to redirect the attentions of a new generation of patrons and collectors to appreciate the early genres of art whether they are old masters, early American, antiquities or decorative arts which are all too often dismissed in the tsunami of current taste for the readily understood and easily attainable contemporary arts. Prior to this, I worked in the business of art which afforded me the luxury of enriching my knowledge of ‘early’ art as well as and forming bonds with the most wonderful characters that inhabit these fields. And now, many years later, I realise that as much as I am entranced by the works of art, my fascination with understanding the people who value, possess and collect can be as intriguing as the items themselves. Studying art is a way of understanding cultures: what is valued...and why. As an art historian, art dealer and now an advisor to individuals, boards and foundations, I am most interested in the fluctuating patterns of interest and value as a way to wisely understand our own place in this long and magnificent tradition of expression and possession.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The entry levels of scholarship and the business continues to be populated with young women.

However, the positions of influence are held fast largely by men. For that reason, I have tremendous respect for the women whose ambition equals their passion in reaching their prestigious and too rare positions. The effort required to run the later miles in a marathon far exceeds the energy expended in first legs and that is most certainly true for women reaching beyond the traditionally held career markers. Carla has shown these women in a light which both expresses their serious determination but also their unique expressions of their very personal femininity.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Within my favourite area of study which is Netherlandish panel painting of the 15th Century, I would have to say that the van Eyck would have to be my favourite unsolved riddle. His vast travels throughout Europe and possibly the middle east, the powerful and colourful patrons who supported him and the genius and transformative works that have been identified and continuously studied have remained a constant in my curious and often distracted attentions.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Raised in Boston by a mother who herself studied and always worked in the arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston was the house that as a girl, I pretended was my own. The romantic Italianate villa with its center garden of scattered antiquities, balconies and rooms adorned with early renaissance panels to modern Sargents, fed directly into my bloodstream before I even knew a single artist’s name.

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Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I believe that projects like this one, that draw attention to the feminine and powerful side of the art world, are most important in aiding us all to not only network together but also to highlight us as models for the younger generations who need to see us succeeding.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I must admit that I had purchased the hand painted shawl initially for a client from a glorious woman who creates unique works of wearable art but then I fell so madly in love with it that I couldn’t bear to part with it. However, the piece you commented on was my ring which bears particular significance to me. The delicate ring is quite unusual in that it is hinged. Each time I look at it, I am reminded that I am in control of its movement which I find to be an emblematic metaphor for this chapter in my life: I am the one defining my direction and pursuing the projects that are most important to me with the people I enjoy and respect.

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Kate Anderson Kate was born in Edinburgh and studied Art History at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where she also received an MLitt in Museum & Gallery Studies. In 2007 she began her career at Aberdeen Art Gallery as an Assistant Keeper, and became Curator in the department of Fine and Decorative Art at the gallery in 2009. In 2012, she was appointed Senior Curator at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, part of the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, where she has responsibility for the 16th and 17th century collections. She also represents the National Galleries of Scotland as a Trustee on the Paxton House Trust Board, Berwickshire, and sits on the Kirkcudbright Art Gallery Board, Dumfries & Galloway.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I work for the National Galleries of Scotland as a Senior Curator responsible for the 16th and 17th century collections at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. My area of research focuses on the visual and material culture of the early modern period in Scotland and Europe, however I often work on projects which embrace other areas of the collection, bringing real diversity to my role. In 2017 I curated the exhibition ‘Looking Good: the Male Gaze from Van Dyck to Lucian Freud’, an exhibition which explored the theme of male image, identity and appearance from the 16th century to the present day.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I really enjoyed Carla’s theatrical approach to composing the photographs. She created the feeling of a historical portrait sitting, which felt so relevant given my role as a curator of early modern portraits.

Do you have a favourite artist?

A difficult question for a curator, but I have been in awe of Titian’s works since I was a school child – I remember visiting the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh to see the Diana paintings and I was blown away. At University my supervisor was Professor Peter Humfrey and his knowledge and passion for Venetian art was so inspiring. Whenever I travel I always try to hunt down a Titian – I’m still astounded by the presence and immediacy his paintings possess nearly 500 years after they were created.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I think my earliest memory involving art was painting hard-boiled eggs for an Easter display at my playgroup – I was only four years old and took great pride in painting (and displaying) my egg!

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I recently became a mother and I found re-entering the work place after a period of maternity leave quite overwhelming. I believe if we are to promote, nurture and develop the careers of women in the art world, as with any sector, it is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by colleagues who are raising a family whilst working and provide the appropriate support.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The costume that I wore in the portrait was a Victorian skirt and black lace mantilla. Carla and I talked about her desire to create an atmosphere which harked back to the 19th century and the advent of photography. The costume combined with the outdoor setting where the photograph was taken – a courtyard leading from an Edinburgh new town flat – evokes the photographs of the Edinburgh-based photographers David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson. The lace mantilla added a European feel and referenced Old Master painters, such as Velazquez or Goya.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Saskia Asser As a descendent of Dutch photographic pioneer Eduard Isaac Asser, Saskia has been interested in the history of photography since an early age. She specialised in the subject during her art history degree course at the University of Leiden, writing her MA thesis on Nicolaas Henneman, the Dutch assistant to the inventor of photography, W.H. Fox Talbot. After graduating, she worked as a researcher at the Rijksmuseum, creating a national catalogue of all early photographs in Dutch collections. In 1999, Saskia became curator of the new photography museum Huis Marseille in Amsterdam, where she worked for over 12 years. Between 2012 and 2015, she worked at World Press Photo on a new online environment for the archive of winning images. In 2016, Saskia returned to Huis Marseille as a curator, a position she combines with a curatorship at the Rijksmuseum, where she is editor of the publication series Rijksmuseum Studies in Photography.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

At the moment, I am dividing my time as a curator between Huis Marseille, a privately founded museum for photography in Amsterdam, and the Rijksmuseum. At Huis Marseille, I am mainly working on the development and production of new exhibitions, which involve both photohistorical subjects and contemporary developments in photography. At the Rijksmuseum, I am supervisor of the Manfred and Hanna Heiting fellows, young art historians who are selected to do research into a photo, photo series or photo object from the Rijksmuseum collection. The results are published in the Rijksmuseum Studies in Photography, of which I am the editor. I enjoy the combination of the two jobs – the latter more academic, the former more hands-on – enormously.

And both jobs give me the opportunity to operate in an international environment, which I find very rewarding.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

As a photo historian and photo specialist, I always relish working closely with photographers. But I do not often bear witness to the creation of an image – most images have already been created the moment I step in. This project not only gave me the opportunity to observe how Carla comes to create her characteristic images, but I also enjoyed the fact that the portrait was the result of a kind of collaboration.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t have one particular favourite artist, but I do have very fond memories of inspiring collaborations with many photographers over the past years, Valérie Belin, Ad van Denderen, Candida Höfer, Scarlett Hooft Graafland, Simone Nieweg, Chrystel Lebas, Bert Teunissen, Edwin Zwakman and many others among them.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a child I was intrigued by a framed reproduction of Karel Appel’s ‘Woman and Ostrich’ on the wall of our sitting room. I always thought it was a real painting, until my parents took me to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam to see the original. I was very much impressed by the much bigger size and the tactile quality of the paint. Not long afterwards – I must have been ten or eleven years old – they also took me to ‘La Grande Parade’, Edy de Wilde’s famous farewell exhibition as a director of the Stedelijk Museum. I remember walking around in awe and wonder of these huge, colourful canvases. I am sure that this visit triggered my great interest in art.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

It always struck me as odd that although women outnumber men at art history degree courses, men tend to outnumber women when it comes to influential positions in the art world. However, I owe my career entirely to the inspirational guidance of women: Ingeborg Leijerzapf and Tineke de Ruiter, my supervisors in Leiden, Mattie Boom, curator of photography at the Rijksmuseum, and Els Barents and Nanda van den Berg, the two successive directors of Huis Marseille.

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ARTFULLY ARTFULLY DRESSED: DRESSED: Women Women in the in the ArtArt World World

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

In the photograph, I am wearing a very delicate lace blouse which belonged to one of my greatWhat are youon grandmothers wearing, my mother’s and isside. there The a story lace shawl, behind draped it? around my shoulder, also belonged to her.

In the The earrings photograph, belonged I am to another wearing great-grandmother a very delicate laceand blouse the medallion which belonged was a gift to one fromofmy mymother-ingreatgrandmothers law.

She gave iton tomy memother’s when myside. first The childlace – her shawl, first draped grandchild around – was myborn. shoulder, It is an alsoheirloom belongedwhich to her. came The earrings down throughbelonged the family to another of her own great-grandmother mother and contains and the two medallion tiny 19th-century was a gift photographs from my motherof her – in-law. and myShe sons’ gave – ancestors. it to me When when my Carla firstasked childme – her for this first portrait, grandchild I knew – wasI born. wanted It to is an wear heirloom something which would came connect down through me to the thewomen familyinofmyher family, ownlong mother deceased and as contains well as very two much tiny 19th-century alive. photographs of her – and my sons’ – ancestors. When Carla asked me for this portrait, I knew I wanted to wear something which would connect me to the women in my family, long deceased as well as very much alive.

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Mariama Attah Mariama is a photography curator and editor, with a particular interest in the power of photography to re-present visual culture. Mariama is currently Assistant Editor for Foam Magazine. Previously she was Programme Curator at Photoworks and was responsible for developing and programming exhibitions and events, including Brighton Photo Biennial and the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards. She was also editor of Photoworks Annual, published yearly. She holds a BA in Photography and an MA in Museum Studies. Mariama has worked with a number of national and international artists and previous work roles include Exhibitions and Events Manager at Iniva, London and Assistant Officer, Visual Arts at Arts Council England.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am driven to find and share photography that surprises and broadens our ideas on what is normal or expected.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I liked learning how to embrace being more visible. It isn’t something that comes naturally to me and this was good practice!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I tend to have a list of favourite artists which is always in flux but Lorna Simpson is a constant. I was in the first year of my photography degree when I saw Waterbearer and it was suddenly so clear to me how provocative, layered and meaningful photography could be. It was like discovering a new language and wanting to master it.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I came to art very late and don’t have a distinct first memory involving art, but I do remember the first photograph I printed in a darkroom and the sense of having created something tactile out of something as immaterial as light.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Encouraging and enabling a wider range of voices and opinions in the art world is crucial in making progress. I’m glad to see women in leading positions and am looking forward to, and expecting, more great changes to develop.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The dress isn’t my own but I love the idea of trying on different clothes and presenting different ways of being seen.

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Ronni Baer PhD Ronni received her PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Before coming to the MFA in 2000 as senior curator of European painting, she worked in curatorial departments at the Frick Collection, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the High Museum, the Carlos Museum at Emory University, and the National Gallery of Art, where she was curator of the exhibition devoted to the paintings of Gerrit Dou, Rembrandt’s first pupil. She has taught at New York University, Emory University, and the University of Georgia and has published widely in the fields of Dutch, Flemish and Spanish art and the history of collecting. In Boston, Ronni has spearheaded numerous acquisitions and gallery installations and has been responsible for the exhibitions The Poetry of Everyday Life; Rembrandt's Journey (co-curated with Cliff Ackley); and El Greco to Velazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III, for which she was knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Ronni enjoyed a stint at the Getty Research Institute as an invited Guest Museum Scholar in 2013. In October of 2016, her exhibition, Class Distinctions: Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer – the first show devoted to the study of how rank and status are reflected in seventeenth-century Dutch portraits, genre scenes, landscapes, and decorative arts objects – opened to critical and popular acclaim at the MFA. For her role in furthering knowledge and the appreciation of Dutch art and culture, Ronni was made Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the King and Queen of The Netherlands in August 2017.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I'm a resource for attributions to Dou; an avid curator who enjoys contributing to scholarship through beautiful and thought-provoking exhibitions; and someone who enjoys nurturing relationships with collectors and colleagues.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I was flattered to be asked to pose for Carla as a ‘woman in the art world’, but I hate photographs of me with the same passion that I hate looking in mirrors – and try to avoid both!

Do you have a favourite artist?

My favourite artist is Rembrandt, with Velázquez a distant second.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I may have visited an art museum as a child, but I think I only remember that the body of Manet's ‘Dead Toreador’ seemed to follow us around the room. My seminal encounter with art occurred while spending my junior year in college in Paris, where I took a course called ‘Learn the Louvre’. A spirited teacher explained the story of Poussin's ‘Martyrdom of St. Erasmus’ – whose entrails are being cranked around a winch – and I realised that telling stories in front of paintings could be just the job for me.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

In terms of the position of women in the art world, though I wouldn't change jobs for anything in the world, I think we continue to be at a disadvantage. There's still a daunting ‘old-boy's’ network, especially in the world of old master paintings. And, in my experience, men tend to be promoted over women despite the fact that there are more women in curatorial jobs and they are just as qualified, if not more qualified, than the men. But please don't quote me on this!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a silk shawl that I bought in Spain.

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Maria Balshaw PhD CBE Maria succeeded Sir Nicholas Serota as Director of Tate on 1 June 2017. Previously, as Director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester and Manchester City Galleries, Maria was responsible for the artistic and strategic vision for each gallery. Maria was also Director of Culture for Manchester City Council from 2013 – 2017. She is a board member of Arts Council England and was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the arts in June 2015.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’m Director of Tate. This means being responsible for Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St. Ives and for the National Collection of British Art and our International Art Collection.

We champion the role of art in society and aim to show the greatest artists and art to the widest range of people. Last year 8.5 million people came to Tate’s galleries.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was interesting to be photographed by someone who was as interested in dress and costume as they were in art.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are so many I could mention but I never tire of looking at William Blake’s drawings. Cornelia Parker’s work had a very profound influence on me as a young woman and I am proud that she is a friend of mine now.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My grandmother had a framed textile on her living room wall. It was a startling green colour with three striking angular kings on it. She didn’t have much money and had saved to buy this from a modern design shop. As a child, I was obsessed with looking at it and trying to understand why the figures were presented in this spare and dynamic way and why it felt so powerful. It was only when I went to work at the Whitworth that I realised it was a work by Tibor Reich, called Age of Kings, commissioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s. My grandmother died some years ago and now the piece hangs in my mother’s house. I still love it.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I feel lucky to be living in a time where the work of women artists increasingly has the profile it deserves and am glad to be part of ensuring that the extraordinary creativity of women and men is celebrated.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing one of Roksanda’s cotton dresses, I love these because they are quite different for her, they are a gorgeous fabric and the fit suits me well. The shawl is by Duro Olowu.

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Jo Baring Jo is an art advisor and Director of the Ingram Collection, which is a not-for-profit organisation founded by philanthropist and entrepreneur Chris Ingram. Jo leads the strategy on public engagement with the art collection, working extensively with regional museums and galleries, and runs the charity’s ‘Young Contemporary Talent’ programme which supports emerging artists through mentoring, events and an exhibition. She was previously a Director of Christie’s UK and studied at Brasenose College, Oxford, and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am lucky in that my role means I work across the art world – from accessing and advising on the purchase of works for international clients, to working with our leading UK museums and galleries for The Ingram Collection. One of the highlights of my year is the prize I launched and run – the ‘Young Contemporary Talent Purchase Prize’. I relish the opportunity to see the work being made by art students. Working with them on the exhibition is always so invigorating and inspiring. I also take part in a formal mentorship scheme for young women entering the art world.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is such an honour to have my portrait taken by Carla, so the shoot itself was great fun.

Additionally, I enjoyed the collegiate atmosphere of the project, talking to other participants, and it has put me back in touch with some old colleagues I hadn’t spoken to for a while, so that was a bonus!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I’m always enamoured by sculptors, particularly women who deal with the physicality of the medium with deft ease. Hepworth and Frink spring to mind.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Gazing at the John Piper tapestry and Geoffrey Clarke furniture at Chichester Cathedral for hours on end as a young schoolgirl. My school assemblies took place in the Cathedral most mornings so I have spent many formative hours of my life looking at the works commissioned for the Cathedral by the forward-looking Walter Hussey (whose collection forms a major part of the Pallant House collection).

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Throughout my career I have benefitted from the advice and informal mentorship of other women in the art world. I always try to pass this on, whether to my peers or younger women, by offering introductions, advice and ideas to others. The world is a very different place to when I started working twenty years ago, and we are lucky that there are now formal associations to foster this idea of support and networking, such as AWITA (Association of Women in The Arts) of which I am proud to be a member.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a black jumpsuit from Whistles with vintage jewellery. The fabrics came from Watts of Westminster.

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Antonia Boström PhD Antonia was born in London to a Swedish father and German mother. She gained her undergraduate and PhD degrees from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and began her museum career at the V&A in 1980, working in the National Art Library and in the Sculpture Department, before moving into art publishing at the Grove Dictionary of Art in 1985. After completing her PhD in 1995 she returned to curatorial work at the Royal Academy of Art, before moving to the USA where she worked in art museums for nearly twenty years. Her career in the USA included working in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department at the Detroit Institute of Arts (1996 – 2004), and as Senior Curator and Head of the Sculpture & Decorative Arts Department the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (2004 – 2013). In 2013 she was appointed Director of Curatorial Affairs at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City before returning to the V&A in January 2016 as Keeper of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass. From October 2017 she has been Acting Director of Collections and Research at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am Keeper of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass, and Acting Director of Collections, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. I act as the V&A’s liaison for provenance research and restitution, and am the National Museum Directors Council Spoliation Working Group representative for the V&A. What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I think Carla’s photographs are exquisite and was honoured to have been asked to take part. What was interesting is how simple her set up is (a black velvet curtain and natural light!) for such beautifully subtle photographs.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Too many! Probably my favourite sculptor is Adriaen de Vries, and my favourite painter is Sir Anthony van Dyck.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I recall my father, a paintings restorer, showing me the illustrations in a book on Botticelli when I was about four years old.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The art world attracts women at all levels, from university through many professional areas of the arts. And it is becoming increasingly frequent that women are occupying more senior positions in museums these days. However, in my curatorial department (Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass) I am the first female Keeper since the 1940s, though the gender balance on the V&A’s Senior Management Team is more evenly balanced.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a white blouse that I love, with a brass necklace that reminds me of a Calder mobile.

My double layer of scarves reflects my love of scarves: I am never without one, winter or summer!

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Isolde De Buck Isolde studied Art History, with her final dissertation on the Belgian 19th century artist, Léon Frederic (1856 – 1940). In 1999 she worked as a scientific researcher for the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, curating an exhibition on the writer Maurice Gilliams. In 2000, she curated an exhibition with the Art House of Schaerbeek in Brussels on Léon Frederic, and afterwards at the Museum of Ghent. In 2002 her first son Lester-Luïs was born and she combined motherhood with guiding for Art Travel and archiving for the De Coene Foundation and heritage Kortrijk. From 2004 – 2016 she worked for the private organisation Zebrastraat, putting on different international exhibitions, and overseeing several new technological art awards NTAA, a media and exhibition platform with a focus on contemporary art, photography, digital and new-media art. In 2006 her second son EliasAlexander was born. Isolde is now an independent curator and art consultant, initiating exhibitions for museum institutions, cultural institutions and private art organisations. She travels as an art guide for the Venice Biennale, art fairs and co-worked on the promotion of an art network application for mobile devices. She has worked as a researcher, editor and curator for international presentations in Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Canada and the U.S.A. She will be presenting an exhibition 'Lettre à Courbet', an installation of Sven Verhaeghe, in Ferme de Flagey, France, and an exhibition 'Un autre réalisme: Léon Frederic’ at the Musée Courbet in Ornans, in summer 2018.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’m an explorer and always on the look out for art, to meet creative people, regardless of sex, race of beliefs and to exhibit and promote their works of art. I get my inspiration in different disciplines of art – literature, dance, theatre, music – but also in everyday society. My experience in the art world allows me to network on both local and international levels.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Because I like Carla as a person and her work: we share the same passion for art, design, fashion, and personalities. It’s also nice to be part of someone’s rich imagination.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I’m touched by the work of a lot of artists but also by their motivation, their skills, their imagination. I had the fortune to grow up in an artistic cradle. We were always surrounded by artists, designers, architects, photographers, musicians, fashion designers. I’m an eclectic and like a lot of styles including 19th century symbolism, art-deco, avant-garde up to contemporary conceptual art. I like the work of known and unknown artists and different periods; Tamara de Lempicka, Georgia O’Keeffe, Sonia Delaunay, James Turell, Olafur Eliasson, Bill Viola but also Belgian artists like Fernand Khnopff, Félicien Rops, Dirk Braeckman, Jean De Groote, and Dries van Noten. I am very proud of our Belgian creative scene.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the atelier of my father, jeweller Siegfried de Buck, and seeing how a jewel/ sculpture/ designed object arises from gold, silver combined with acrylic glass, rubber, gems. Also, posing as a child next to the Zeppelin of Panamarenko in the Museum of Ghent.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I am aware of their vulnerable position and the fact that it is still difficult for women to exhibit their work. We live in an emancipated part of the world, but I am shocked to learn that there are still a lot of places that don’t give room for women in society let alone the art world. As women we need to be aware of this situation and help wherever we can.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I’m wearing jewellery designed by my father, and an haute-couture dress by the Polish-Belgian fashion designer Izolda Ciurus. In daily life I’m less eccentric but I like to wear Belgian fashion.

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Yvette van Caldenborgh Yvette was born in The Hague, but raised in Rotterdam. She studied Art History at the Rijksuniversiteit, Leiden. During her Master’s degree she went to London for a Post War and Contemporary Art Course at Sotheby’s Education. She interned in the Art Department of the ING Bank in Amsterdam. She is married with three children, all of whom are at different universities in The Netherlands. When the children were younger they lived in Madrid for a couple of years.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

After finishing university I became a curator for the Caldic Collection, which is now part of Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, The Netherlands. As an independent Art Consultant I helped people build their own art collection. After spending time in Madrid I became a board member of the Sculpture Club and Outset Netherlands. Currently she is on the board of Museum Voorlinden and focuses on sponsorship and patronage.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I met Carla when she had an exhibition in Museum Beelden aan Zee. I was honoured that Carla asked me to be part of this project. I liked the preparation the best. My friends advised me what to wear and the photo shoot by Carla was pleasant and done very professionally.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have a lot of favourite artists, and I like a lot of different things – from realism to abstract art, photography to painting and sculpture. I like among others, the Zero period of Jan Schoonhoven, the Pop Art and quotes of Andy Warhol, the conceptual art of Joseph Kosuth, and Marina Abramovic, the videos of Shirin Neshat, the serenity of Martin Puryear's sculptures, and the insanity of Martin Creed and Yayoi Kusama.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My father took me as a young girl to galleries and museums. He also painted, and his abstract work hung in our living room. When I was at university the exhibition of Anselm Kiefer in Het Stedelijk Museum made a huge impression on me.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I have the feeling that women working in the art world are better represented then in other lines of work. As for the artists; 51% of artists today are women, but they are not equally represented by the galleries. Only 5% of London galleries represent an equal number of male and female artists. There is work to be done.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a black coat by the Dutch fashion designer Mart Visser and in the foreground of the photo is an artwork by Yayoi Kusama. Mart is also an artist and that is one of the reasons we get along so well. He often combines his couture with his artworks. Mart is an extremely nice person, who let me choose from his entire couture collection.

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Fleur Roos Rosa de Carvalho Fleur is the Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. She discovered the specific appeal of 19th century works on paper while working as an Assistant Curator at the Van Gogh Museum from 2007 – 2010. She gained her specialist knowledge in this field after she was appointed Researcher of the museum’s fin-de-siècle print collection in 2010. As the Curator of Prints and Drawings since 2013, her aim is to share the most beautiful prints and drawings of the period with the public and to present them in a more innovative and integrated way. With her publication and the exhibition ‘Prints in Paris 1900: From the Elite to the Street’ (2017) she set out to return prints to their historic context. Autumn 2015 witnessed the launch of her experimental and interactive website that presents the Van Gogh Museum’s print collection in its full glory (www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/prints/home). She is co-author of ‘Printmaking in Paris: The Rage for Prints at the Fin de Siècle’ and many other publications on late 19th century art.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

The Van Gogh Museum has a specialised collection of French 19th century art, which makes it practically heaven for me, being a great lover of the period. Working there allows me to study and present this rich artistic period in all its facets, constantly broadening and strengthening my expertise. The museum is extremely cosmopolitan and dynamic, but we are also given the space to do in-depth research, so every day at work so far has brought new experiences and horizons.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Finding out the working methods of a photographer I have admired for quite a while. And for the first time being conscious of being a woman in the arts. There are so many of us!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have several favourite artists, Edgar Degas and Pierre Bonnard, among many more.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

The paper I wrote in primary school as an eleven-year old on the Garden of Claude Monet, writing about Impressionism, but also copying his works in pastel and dreaming of the garden for months. I only visited it this year, since I was always reluctant to go, afraid of spoiling the Garden of Eden of my imagination. But in the end I was glad to have gone, it is still a very special place, a work of art in itself.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

A female director of the Rijksmuseum would be a good next step! But also, that this might be the only branch where we might have to start worrying about protecting the men. They seem to become rarer and rarer, but then they might appear out of nowhere to become the Head of your department.

However, I do believe that for a healthy dynamic and balance it is crucial to have a good mix of both sexes on the floor, so more men should be trained as art-historians!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I have always felt attracted to objects (and clothes) that breathe history and romance, so when I found this slip in the chest of drawers of my Portuguese grandmother, who was a dancer and actress but had recently moved to an elderly home, I secretly snatched it!

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Trudie Rosa de Carvalho Trudie was born in Haarlem and graduated as an art historian specialising in historic royal interiors at the University of Leiden. She worked for three years at the Rijksmuseum as a trainee in the 17th and 18th century doll house project, and as registrar for the collections of furniture and 18th century costume. In the next five years she worked as assistant curator of the Royal Collections of the Netherlands, where she shared the care of the paintings, sculptures, textiles and other objects of craft. But already during all these years her love and interest in costume was quietly growing and in 2002 she succeeded in being accepted as curator of costume and textiles in the former royal palace, now museum, Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My present role in the art world is being the keeper of the Dutch Royal Wardrobe, the Court liveries, the ceremonial dress and certain textiles present in the collection of Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. I like to disseminate my knowledge about this collection and all its peculiarities concerning status, court etiquette and royal taste in the form of exhibitions, lectures, articles and blog posts on social media.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

This project is a display of the artistic talent and natural aesthetics of the photographer, in a unique combination presenting a diversity of portraits and biographies of women working in the arts.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Thomas Gainsborough.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Unfortunately, I was not educated in an art-loving environment, but mostly directed towards a love of nature. My earliest memories involving art are those of the country estate of Elswout near Overveen; a combination or architecture and English landscape garden.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

To be honest, no!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I know, I am wearing a fur hat and shawl. It is a great inconsistency at my age especially as I educated my children in an almost activist anti-fur spirit. But when I saw these items lost in a basket at the vintage shop of Episode in Amsterdam I couldn’t resist buying them. I mainly did so because I thought that the life of these animals was a double waste if nobody cared for them anymore. I care.

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Cassie Davies-Strodder with her daughter Maisie Cassie is Curator of 20th and 21st Century Fashion at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

She curated the major V&A fashion exhibition ‘Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion’. Her publications include ‘London Society Fashion 1905 – 1925: The Wardrobe of Heather Firbank’ and ‘Modern Royal Fashion: Seven royal women and their style’. Her daughter Maisie was born in July 2017 and is five months old in the photo.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I work with the national collection of fashion at the V&A and have the privilege of working with really beautiful garments. My role is two-fold: on a day-to-day basis I take care of and provide access to the collections, making sure the objects are preserved and recorded and making them available to the public. When working on an exhibition or publication my research is much more focused. I enjoy the challenge of making things relevant and interesting to a wide audience. My last project, the exhibition on the 20th century Spanish couturier Balenciaga, aimed to demonstrate his continuing relevance to fashion through the inclusion of work by several contemporary designers who site him as an influence or work in the same tradition today. My next project will be looking at the lives and wardrobes of two fashionable women of the early 20th Century – looking at their personal stories alongside their clothes.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was really interesting to see a little of Carla’s process and to meet other women in the arts, and of course to have Maisie captured by such a talented photographer.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I truly think Balenciaga was an artist in the field of fashion, he was a visionary in terms of shape and manipulated fabric like a sculptor.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My mother was the curator of the dress collection at a museum in a 14th century house in Norwich.

I remember being fascinated by the Tudor portraiture and the luxurious tapestries that hung on the walls.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The art world is hugely competitive and the few jobs that are available are often now offered as short-term contracts. This makes it difficult to plan for a family and hard choices have to be made. It is disappointing that so many of the more senior positions in large art institutions are still more often held by men.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

My personal wardrobe is nothing like as impressive as the clothes I work with unfortunately, so the fabrics I am wearing were chosen and draped by Carla. They remind me of the rich fabrics seen in historical portraiture at a time when textiles were worn as a demonstration of wealth.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Annemarie den Dekker Annemarie has always loved beautiful materials, fabrics and colours. She studied Art History at the University of Amsterdam and at the University of Florence. She began her career as a freelance assistant-curator at the Amsterdams Historisch Museum (now Amsterdam Museum). Before long she was asked to organise a large fashion exhibition about designers who worked or lived in Amsterdam. Subsequently she was offered a permanent job as curator of applied arts; a discipline that covers design, glass, furniture, costume and fashion, silver and sculpture. A real playground!

When she was appointed chief curator, besides initiating and implementing projects, she also managed the team of curators and conservators. She is now Head of Museum Affairs and Programming.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am responsible for the artistic and content direction of the Amsterdam Museum. Our main location is in the city centre and we also manage two canal house museums. We facilitate a semipermanent exhibition in the Hermitage Museum at the Amstel, called Portrait Gallery. The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city: past, present and future. What I aim for is to create insight, wonder and connection among visitors and inhabitants. I think it is important as a cultural organisation to be inclusive, so everybody feels welcome. Culture is a connector; a museum can be a safe place to engage in conversation. I am a connector and I love collaborating, which is an important part of my work. I am also active in partnerships outside the museum, varying from the presidency of the Dutch Textile Committee (Nederlandse Textielcommissie), guest lectures at the university to being a member of the Supervisory Board of Museum Muiderslot, president of the network of Dutch city museums and a member of the Art & Culture Committee of the Gay Pride.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I immensely enjoyed taking part. A friend introduced me to Carla. She has an open and pure way of looking at people. It was a great experience to work with her, to be photographed in her Amsterdam studio with racks full of fantastic clothes, varying from historical to contemporary design. With only a quick glance she decided on the clothes she wanted me to wear. It was fascinating and spot on.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I take inspiration from people, art and nature. Fantastic skies can captivate me just as much as a modern work of art by Rothko or the work of a silversmith like Bennewitz & Bonebakker.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

A few of my earliest memories of art are from our family holidays, when my father told me the stories behind sculptures and art in the churches we visited in France and Italy. I was enchanted by them. My mother also spent a lot of her time painting and sculpting.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I am really pleased that more and more women in the Netherlands belong to the top management teams in museums. The right balance, however, is the most important thing, no matter which branch you work in. Male, female, differences in ethnic background, different thoughts: they all lead to discussions and positive results.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The dress I am wearing in the picture is designed by Iris van Herpen, a Dutch designer widely recognised as one of fashion’s most talented and forward-thinking creators, who continuously pushes the boundaries of fashion design. Since her first show in 2007 Van Herpen has been preoccupied with inventing new forms and methods of sartorial expression by combining the most traditional and the most radical materials and garment construction methods into her unique aesthetic vision. When we were busy in Carla’s studio, we didn’t know exactly how to wrap the dress around the body; you can wear it in different ways. It is fascinating how different the dress looks on different people. In my case Carla thought it had a twenties look.

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Claire van den Donk with her daughter Nina Claire was born in The Netherlands and raised in the United States. She returned to her country of birth at eighteen. Upon graduating with an MA in Art History at Groningen, she travelled to Guatemala to volunteer at the orphanage Casa Guatemala in the jungle of Rio Dulce. On her return she combined two jobs, as an Old Master Pictures expert at Glerum Auctioneers and as a looted art researcher at the Dutch Ministry of Culture’s Origins Unknown Agency in The Hague. Claire went on to work at Christie’s Amsterdam and then again at the Origins Unknown Agency for a few years before her current position as Curator of Dutch and Flemish Portraits at the RKD in The Hague.

She balances work and family with her husband and three young children in a village near Amsterdam.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’ve been at the Dutch Institute for Art History (RKD) in The Hague since 2008 and am currently preparing the exhibition ‘In Joy & Sorrow’ as a guest curator together with Prof. Dr. Rudi Ekkart for the Rijksmuseum Twenthe in Enschede, The Netherlands. The exhibition will focus on Dutch 17th and 18th Century family portraits which show us much more than immediately meets the eye.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed posing together with my daughter Nina. Pure chaos, of course, with an eighteen-monthold! But it was good fun getting all dressed up and laughing together with Carla in between the shots of her camera. It is also a joy to observe Carla The Photographer at work. I still haven't figured out how she captures it: the magic of natural light.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t, but I do have a favourite portrait: Karel Dujardin's Self-Portrait in the Rijksmuseum. Smaller than you'd expect and just perfect. I fall for it every time.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Growing up, my parents travelled a great deal with my sister and I. They took us to museums across Europe and America. My sister was always ready to tear her hair out after an hour inside a museum, whereas I would be dreaming up ways to get myself locked up in the Uffizi, Louvre or MET. Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

In my view, very professional women in the art world have long been growing in numbers but not enough in high positions. Though this is changing at a quick pace in many places, I do feel that there is still room for improvement in regard to women achieving equal opportunities and economic equality in the field.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a Victorian cape embroidered with black beads and a somewhat ragged silk skirt from the same period. My daughter Nina is in a white embroidered summer onesie given to her by a good friend.

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Clare Freestone Clare was born in Edgware in London's suburbia. She studied BA (Hons) Fine Art at Wimbledon School of Art and has worked at the National Portrait Gallery in the Photographs department since 2000. As Curator of Photographs, her work at the gallery involves working with the breadth of the Photographic Collection comprising 250,000 objects dating from the 1840s to the present day. Some of the displays she has curated include ‘Seizing an Instant: Photographs by Roger Mayne’, ‘John Gay: Portraits in Print’, ‘Private View: British Pop and the 60s Art Scene’ and ‘Famous in the Fifties: Photographs by Daniel Farson’. In 2009 she was appointed Associate Curator for the exhibition ‘Ida Kar: Bohemian photographer’ and since January 2016 her post prioritises acquisitions and the collection. While at the National Portrait Gallery she has developed her interest in post-war photography and culture.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I have been at the National Portrait Gallery now for twenty years, so I have good relationship with many photographers and a knowledge of the collection and ways of archiving. I started off working in the shop while finishing my art degree. I struck gold early and have been learning ever since. We are a small team in Photographs and we work very well together.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was a pleasure to meet Carla and to succumb to her artistic endeavours. She makes beautiful and thoughtful images. It was also of course very flattering to be asked as it felt like a level of recognition.

Do you have a favourite artist?

One of them is Giacometti, but perhaps let’s say Germaine Richier – another sculptor, but a woman and less recognised, although more and more so – expressing the same Post War consciousness as Giacometti. Ida Kar photographed Richier and of course Kar is my favourite photographer, an artist in her own right with a biography as interesting as her archive of portraits we hold at the Gallery!

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I loved drawing when I was little... I still do, but I did much more then.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I have always enjoyed working in a supportive environment with men and women. I think the art world can be a place where women feel they have a voice. We may still need a few more of them at the top!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing some fabric from Watts of Westminster that Carla had sourced. I was happy to be directed by her a little and to be draped, to be re-invented! The costume looks a little like a sari and I appear more exotic than I would usually look, often choosing plain simple clothing. It’s nice to be dressed up; to become someone else! Of course, there is a long tradition of dressing up and we represent this very well in photography at the NPG, so perhaps that is fitting!

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Emilie Gordenker PhD Emilie has been Director of the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis since January 2008. Emilie was born in Princeton, NJ (United States), and holds dual US and Dutch nationality. She earned her Ph.D. in 1998 from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University with a specialty in the history of seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish art, the history of dress of that period, and the artist Anthony van Dyck. Her dissertation, ‘Van Dyck and the Representation of Dress in SeventeenthCentury Portraiture’ was published in 2001. While in New York, Emilie worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Collection and the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD). She taught at Rutgers University, New York University, Vassar College and the Bard Graduate Center for the Decorative Arts. She moved to London in 1999, where she continued to publish on her specialty, and worked for companies providing new media solutions for museums and galleries. She was appointed Senior Curator for Early Netherlandish, Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh in December 2003. At the Mauritshuis, she has led the major renovation and expansion of the museum, which was completed to schedule in June 2014. She continues to publish scholarly articles, create exhibitions for the museum and serves on several boards.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am an art historian and Director of the Mauritshuis.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The fact that the artist put women in the arts at front and centre; and also the unexpected way in which she chose to portray me.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t have one – it’s like asking a mother which of her children is her favourite!

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with my mother in the 1970s.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Women are underrepresented as directors of museums that collect and display Old Masters and older art, particularly prominent institutions with a large operating budget.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress by Roksanda, bought especially for the Duchess of Cambridge's visit to the Mauritshuis in October 2016.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Sabina Jaskot-Gill PhD Sabina was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. After reading History of Art and English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, she took an MA degree in Photography (Historical and Contemporary) at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. She was the recipient of an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award in 2010, completing a PhD in post-war Polish photography, jointly supervised by the University of Essex and Tate. Before joining the National Portrait Gallery in 2016, she lectured on the history and theory of photography.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, I curate exhibitions and displays and care for a collection of over 250,000 photographic objects. I believe my role is to inspire and galvanise a new generation of photographic enthusiasts.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

After years of looking at portraits, I gained a real appreciation of the skill and stamina involved in holding a pose for the camera.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I admire women photographers with big characters – the British society photographer Madame Yevonde, for example, who opened a London studio in 1914 and caused controversy in a maledominated profession by asserting women's superior abilities as portraitists. Or the Polish photographer Zofia Rydet, who took up photography at the age of sixty-seven and travelled across Poland taking tens of thousands of photographs, creating an atlas of Polish domestic life under Communist rule.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I grew up in a small industrial village in the north of England. I frequently visited Salts Mill, a textiles factory built by the manufacturer and philanthropist Sir Titus Salt in 1853. When production ceased in the 1980s, the mill was re-purposed as a gallery space to house one of the largest collections of art by David Hockney. I remember being enthralled by Hockney’s paintings, drawings and photographs, but equally by how art could transform this former industrial space. I also vividly remember seeing Salvador Dali’s Lobster Telephone (1936) on a trip to Tate, and being struck by how such a strange object could change the way I looked at and thought about the world. My goal is to inspire similar thoughts in audiences today.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

The National Portrait Gallery has a long history of supporting and exhibiting women photographers and acquiring their work for the Collection. Almost seventy percent of the gallery’s employees are women too. Although much progress has been made in this regard, we still need more women in senior positions. Importantly, we need to continue nurturing new generations of women who will be the leaders of the future.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I’m wearing a Matisse floral print dress by RIXO, a young British label run by Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McClosky.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Hanna Klarenbeek PhD Hanna studied Art History at Utrecht University. In 2012 she finished her PhD-project, ‘Paintbrush princesses & professional paintresses’ (in Dutch ‘Penseelprinsessen & broodschilderessen. Vrouwen in de kunst 1808 – 1913’), in which she studied the status and progress of Dutch female artists in the nineteenth century. In the same year she curated the double exhibition ‘Paintbrush princesses’ for Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn and The Mesdag Collection in The Hague. She lectured Art History at the Radboud University and the University of Amsterdam. Since 2015 she is Curator of paintings, prints & drawing for Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As an art historian, I’ve specialised in 19th century Dutch art. I focus mostly on the more social side of art: the lives of artists, and why and how artworks were made and displayed. I wrote books, articles and curated exhibitions on a variety of subjects, such as the depiction of the female nude, artists villages and women artists (my PhD research). As an art history teacher for the University of Amsterdam this was also my main focus. More recently my attention shifted to art with a connection to the Dutch royal family in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Since 2015 I work as a curator of paintings, prints and drawings at Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn, in the heart of the Netherlands. The palace was originally built in 1686 for Stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau and his wife, Mary Stuart (Queen Mary II of England). The palace has been a national museum since 1984. My current job includes researching the collection, acquiring new artworks and preparing (temporary) exhibitions focussing mainly on aspects of the House of Orange-Nassau and court-life.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It was my first time being part of an art project. For me being a model felt like a world turned upside-down. Mostly I research art works, now I was the subject of one. It was very inspiring to do.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t have a favourite artist. I do however, have a weak spot for many Dutch female artists, such as Judith Leyster and Rachel Ruysch, Therese Schwartze, Sientje Mesdag-van Houten and Suze Robertson.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory involving art must be a trip to Paris with my mum, when I was about twelve years old. We left my two older brothers and my dad at home and visited this beautiful city for a week. I saw a lot of museums, churches and of course Versailles. The overload of art was breath-taking.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

My PhD-research taught me that the 19th century Dutch art world was fairly open to female artists and that they had many of the same opportunities as their male counterparts. In the last half of the century men and women worked alongside each other. However, society still didn’t approve of professional female artists. Many objections were made that women should focus on their natural role of being a good daughter, loving wife and caring mother and not pursue a career as a professional artist. These objections echo in the minor position women artists still have in art history. The focus of art historians during the last centuries has for the larger part been on male artists from the western world. Luckily over the last decades much research has been done on women artists. I hope these studies will result in art books and exhibitions that paint a more refined picture of male and female artists.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Carla has picked this beautiful dress for me. It is a design by Claes Iversen, a renowned Dutch fashion designer. I instantly loved the dress because of the colour and the many flowers.

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Lidewij de Koekkoek PhD Lidewij studied Art History at Leiden University in The Netherlands. After a start in contemporary art and architecture, she ventured into the field of heritage. In 2008 she was appointed director of the Alkmaar City Museum. In 2016 she started as general director of the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I have an enormous drive to get people, young and old, of all backgrounds, excited and involved in art, architecture and heritage. I suppose this missionary role defines my role in the art world.

Though my career could be characterised as quite ‘criss-cross’, this drive is at the core of what I do and hope to contribute to society and the Art World.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Carla had an exhibition of a special series she made for the Rembrandt House Museum in 2016.

When I was approached for the directorship of the museum, in the summer of 2016, her work really stood out. I loved discovering Carla’s distinct work. So when she asked me to be part of this project, I felt really honoured. The afternoon spent at Carla’s studio was great fun. I love the reclining portrait that captures Millais’ Ophelia. I see it as a memento mori portrait of a woman of a certain age and wisdom. Though for me, every day is more carpe diem!

Do you have a favourite artist?

Well, of course Rembrandt, but also many, many others. His contemporaries like Gerrit Berckheyde, Jan Van der Heyden, Jan Vermeer. But also earlier artists like Rogier van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Memling, Holbein. I love portraiture, landscapes, still lifes. However, I started my career in contemporary art and architecture. I love the classics Anish Kapoor, Mark Rothko, Bruce Nauman. I’m an omnivore when it comes to art, don’t ask me to choose!

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Well, visiting museums, churches and castles with my parents when on holiday in Italy. But even earlier, at my grandfather’s home: a small house in Amsterdam filled with late 19th century Dutch art and furniture. And at a very early age, I loved to look through my father’s art books. I could hardly lift the heavy volumes on Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer, but my love of art must have started then.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I remember in the early eighties reading Germaine Greer’s ‘The Obstacle Race: The Fortunes of Women Painters and Their Work’ and feeling such anger and frustration. It’s good to see that there is finally a bit more interest in women artists. In museums and cultural institutions there is a very healthy invasion of talented and strong women specialists and leaders, especially in The Netherlands.

It does diffuse my outlook, I tend to forget that the outside world is not as women friendly. So, there is still a world to win, not only in art.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

The young Dutch fashion designer Edwin Oudshoorn is a true craftsman with a keen interest in the history of fashion and art. He has presented his collections in many museums. I worked with him in the exhibition on the 17th century Dutch classicist painter Caesar van Everdingen at the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar. I find his work mesmerising , and so befitting the historical ambiance of my work at the Rembrandt House Museum.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Marloes Krijnen Marloes is the founder and director of Foam Photography Museum, Amsterdam. She studied political science and mass communication at the University of Amsterdam and has been director of World Press Photo for ten years. Before she started Foam in 2001 she was the owner of Transworld, an international photo agency. Foam enables people from all over the world to experience and enjoy photography, whether at the museum in Amsterdam, on the website, via the internationally distributed Foam Magazine or in the print sales room of Foam Editions. Foam focuses especially on exhibitions, publications, discussions and specific projects relevant to contemporary themes in the field of photography, with an emphasis on upcoming artists, and in 2012 was one of the initiators of the international photography fair Unseen in Amsterdam. Marloes is vice-chairman of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and member of the supervisory board of the Triodos Culture Fund.

She has been on several juries, the ICP Infinity Awards, Les Rencontres d'Arles, the Recontres Africaines de la Photographie in Bamako, the Albert Renger-Patzsch Award of the Museum Folkwang in Essen and the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

After ten years as Director at World Press Photo, I was invited to draft a business plan to establish a photography museum in the heart of Amsterdam. This led to me founding Foam. From the beginning, my vision was always to show all aspects, genres and styles of photography. The museum is so much more than a space to visit. We run a range of educational projects that reach communities and give us a chance to work with people we might not otherwise have a chance to meet. The magazine also helps us realise our potential of broadening our horizons and working with photographers and artists at all career stages. This includes working internationally, for example, our Foam Talent exhibition tours internationally and gives us the chance to make global connections. I see my role in the art world as one of enabling and encouraging collaborations, within and beyond the photography and visual arts sector. I’m interested in inspiring unexpected ways of working.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

This project is such a celebration of women, strength, character and determination. Having the chance to be a part of this project has inspired me and reminded me of the brilliant work we are capable of.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I think it would be both too difficult and too easy to name a photographer. Instead, I will name Louise Bourgeois. I was recently at MOMA and had the chance to see An Unfolding Portrait. The breadth, range of materials and ease at moving between mediums was inspiring and her watercolours and sketches, in particular, were so striking and evocative to me.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory of art is visiting the Louvre, when I was about six years old. I remember standing on a staircase, looking up at the Venus de Milo, and being blown away by its beauty. The idea of being able to create something so beautiful from a block of marble was incredible.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I truly feel that women are becoming increasingly visible and prominent in the art world, and projects such as yours are a testament to that. This is a change that is overdue. Women have the ability to multi-task and prioritise in a way that doesn’t shy away from feeling and emotion, which can be a unique and powerful way of decision making.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I had originally brought an outfit with me but when I arrived and saw the racks of clothing, I couldn’t resist taking the chance to choose something extraordinary. The sense of dressing up, and wearing something I would never normally wear, like this incredible orange skirt, by the Dutch designer Mattijs van Bergen, was irresistible to me.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Catharine MacLeod Catharine was born in London to Canadian parents, and lived in Yorkshire, Vancouver and Somerset during her childhood. She studied English at the University of Cambridge and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, and her first art-related job was working on the 16th and 17th century miniatures in the Royal Collection. After that she was the Assistant Curator at York Art Gallery, and then in 1995 was appointed Curator of 16th and 17th century Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery. Her first big exhibition was ‘Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II’, in 2001/2. Shortly after this she had her first child. She came back to the Portrait Gallery part-time, as Curator of 17th century Portraits. In 2012 she curated ‘The Lost Prince: the Life and Death of Henry Stuart’, an exhibition about the eldest son of James I. She is currently working on an exhibition on Tudor and Jacobean portrait miniatures. She is married to Frank Salmon, an architectural historian, and they have two children, Alex and Isobel.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am Senior Curator of Seventeenth-century Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, responsible for acquisition, research, display and interpretation of the 17th century part of the collection, as well as providing advice and expertise on 17th century British portraiture more generally, and curating exhibitions in this field.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed meeting Carla; the process of being photographed by her was a pleasant and relaxed episode in a busy day!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have a number of favourite artists, who tend to be related to my current work. Holbein and Van Dyck are obviously extraordinary; at the moment I am completely amazed by Isaac Oliver, a towering genius whose works deserve to be better known.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My earliest memory involving art should be something to do with my father, who was an architect, architectural historian and talented artist. I think, however, that it's of an Aubrey Beardsley poster of a woman that we used to have at home, which for some reason was known to us as 'Gentle Kate'.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I think that the last twenty years have seen a real shift in the position of women in the art world, with junior positions in museums and galleries dominated by women, and many more women filling senior positions as well. I think, though, that there will not be gender equality in these higher levels of employment until such positions are structured more creatively and flexibly, as many women choose not to make the domestic sacrifices that are currently often necessary in order to meet the demands of directorial roles.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Carla dressed me in a wonderful brocade gown, which I think might have been a theatrical costume or something from a television costume drama – or else someone's very grand dressing gown! It was enormous and extremely heavy, and I could feel, wearing it, how such a gown would have increased the gravitas of a Tudor statesman, not just in terms of appearance but also in terms of the ponderous and deliberate way he would have had to move.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Amparo Martinez-Russotto Amparo was born in Caracas, Venezuela and studied Art History at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for her MA. Amparo is fluent in five languages and lives and works in London. She joined Christie’s UK in 2006 where she worked as a Specialist in the Old Master Paintings Department. After nearly twelve years Amparo left Christie’s in December 2017 to become the curator of a private collection of Old Masters.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I am the curator for a private collection of Old Masters. I am responsible for looking after the existing collection and for sourcing new additions. It is growing very fast and it’s thrilling to watch the collection evolve and change – it is made up of exquisite works, all first-rate examples of their genres.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The project is a very important one, in my view. Giving women the recognition they deserve is not only inspiring, but also necessary. Especially in today’s shifting political climate, when women continue to be affected by inequality in the work place, it is important to represent women as strong and successful figures in their own right. The photo-shoot itself was a great joy and a really fun afternoon. It provided an opportunity to bond with colleagues and to watch Carla at work first-hand.

Do you have a favourite artist?

This is always a difficult question, as I have several favourite artists. Among them are Bronzino, Holbein and Magritte.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My parents were always taking me to museums and concerts as a child, so I don’t remember a time when art wasn’t part of my life. But one of my most striking memories involving art was when I visited the Sistine Chapel in Rome for the first time. I must have been around ten years old. I didn’t know where we were going so I was just following the crowd. When I crossed the threshold into the chapel I looked up, following the gaze of the others, and I immediately cowered down for fear of the giant ignudo overhead falling on me. My gaze panned out to the rest of the ceiling and I was so amazed by what I saw that I forgot where I was and the entire room, full of tourists, just went silent.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

It is always inspiring to hear about women who have successful careers in the art world. The art industry is one where numerous women have achieved senior positions, but there is still much to be done. Women still drop out of the work force in large numbers and are challenged by inequality. The most important issue in my view is transparency. Murky processes leave women uncertain about what is required to progress in the workplace and what the impact of taking time out to have a family is exactly. It is not unusual that important milestones in the professional sphere coincide with starting a family, and no one should feel their career is threatened because of this.

What are you wearing and is there a story behind it?

The dress is by Antik Batik. When I saw it, I instantly loved the craftsmanship and the evocation of flappers during the roaring 1920s. It’s a wonderfully comfortable dress, as well as glamorous, and I can see why the women who wore flapper dresses in the past found it liberating. They could move more freely, without the constrictions of tight corsets. They drove, they worked outside of the home, they broke away from the restrictive traditions of the Victorian era. Where there is social change, fashion follows, and I love this dress for invoking all this.

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Renée Mussai Renée is Senior Curator and Head of Archive, Exhibitions & Research at Autograph ABP, a Londonbased arts charity that promotes photography and film addressing cultural identity, race, representation and human rights. Her curatorial and scholarly practice focuses on African, Black British and diasporic photographic practices, with a special interest in portraiture, gender and sexuality. Mussai has organised numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Africa and the US, including the internationally touring gallery installations ‘Black Chronicles’ (2014 – 2018), a curatorial archive research programme on Victorian photography and black portraiture; ‘Raphael Albert: Miss Black & Beautiful’ (2016; 2018); and Zanele Muholi: ‘Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness’ (2017 – 2020). A regular guest curator and former non-resident fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University since 2009, Mussai publishes and lectures internationally on photography and cultural politics. She is a Research Associate in the Visual Identities in Art and Design Research Centre, University of Johannesburg and a PhD candidate in Art History at University College London. Her work has been published in NkA: Journal of Contemporary African Arts; Aperture; and in numerous artist monographs and anthologies. Her books include 'James Barnor: Ever Young’; ‘Glyphs: Acts of Inscription’ (with Ruti Talmor); and the forthcoming 'Black Chronicles’. She has appeared in BBC Two’s The Culture Show, and on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Front Row. Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I originally trained as an artist, then became a curator and scholar. I work primarily in photography, and occasionally moving image or mixed media: my practice is research-led, I’m interested in notions of curatorial care and gallery interventions, new knowledge production, and the continuous annotation of visual and cultural histories, creolising discursive practices which foreground female, black, brown as well as queer and non-gender conforming bodies, traversing the historical as well as the contemporary, the archive, past and present image repertoires. Most of my professional career during the past decade and more has been dedicated to working with Autograph ABP, the Londonbased arts charity that promotes photography and film addressing politics of cultural identity, race, representation and human rights. I see my role in the art world as that of a mediator, or interlocutor – a curatorial agent with a mission, if you will.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I enjoyed the experience of being 'seen' through the prism of somebody else’s gaze, being momentarily vulnerable in front of the camera, knowing that my image will form part of a wider collective portrait of women, each of us committed to the arts in a variety of ways. And to imagine that in years to come, a young brown or black woman someday, somewhere – an aspiring curator, perhaps – might encounter in my portrait someone who looks a little like them and feel empowered or inspired by the experience.

Do you have a favourite artist?

There are many artists whose work I admire, for different reasons - it would be too difficult to outline them here. I actively advocate for those whose visual activism is not only visionary but necessary, committed to raising awareness for key issues of our time, such as gender-based violence, climate change, social injustices or the plight of migrants, for example. Others I admire for their seductive, affirmative and intrinsic practices and sheer indulgence in the visual… The art I enjoy most is when visual pleasure and socio-political engagement amalgamate.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

A set of midnight blue plastic cutlery which became a mobile pop-up sculptural installation during a four-month sojourn in India as a child, with my mother. I was about four years old, and remember endlessly reconfiguring them – aided by other young artists-in-the-making. And then drawing the different variations, alongside equally sophisticated (!) stick portraits of water buffalos and giant cows, in our notebooks. This, and a vintage photograph of my father, his mother, brother and sisterin-law portrayed in a high street photo studio in Mogadishu, Somalia around 1981 – one of the main

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reasons why I ended up working in photography. It speaks volumes to me about memory, desire, and cultural identity – then, and now.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Only that, as in other fields, I would like to see more women in senior leadership positions, and more female artists represented – especially women from culturally diverse backgrounds. And I would like us to support and nurture each other, always, and continue to advocate actively for a more inclusive, levelled playing field.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I’m wearing a 'Saturn' 3D dress by Japanese designer Issey Miyake – it’s a deep burgundy, allenveloping, sculptural piece: a sort of cocoon. I’ve been an avid Miyake collector for many years, and wear his creations – especially PleatsPlease – without fail on most days and nights… They are brilliant travel ‘companions’, too.

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Anna Reynolds Anna is Senior Curator of Paintings at the Royal Collection Trust, where she has worked since 2008.

She is part of the curatorial team with responsibility for temporary exhibitions at The Queen's Gallery in London and The Queen's Gallery in Edinburgh, as well as the permanent display of approximately 8,000 paintings across royal residences including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Her exhibitions and accompanying publications include ‘In Fine Style - The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion’, ‘Royal Childhood’, ‘A Royal Welcome’, ‘Portrait of the Artist’ and ‘Charles II: Art and Power’. She is currently undertaking a sabbatical year in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where she has been awarded the Polaire Weissman fellowship. Her research examines the connections between the paintings of John Singer Sargent and fashion. Anna holds an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University, a Diploma from Christie's Education and a Masters in the History of Dress from the Courtauld Institute.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I love being a curator because it is an incredibly varied role that rewards curiosity. Every day I get to engage with incredible works of art and learn new things – whether it be from colleagues, books or visitors. I particularly enjoy the excitement and sense of shared purpose that develops during the run up to the opening of a new exhibition, then going into the gallery and seeing visitors looking intently at the objects, reading labels, talking to each other and pointing things out. It is wonderful to do something that brings visible pleasure to others. While I enjoy the fast pace of the curatorial department, I am particularly appreciating the opportunity to focus solely on research for a year, with the time and space to think and access to the incredible resources available at the Met and the extraordinary breadth of its collection. Straight out of university I worked for four years as a management consultant which taught me so much, and helped me develop many skills that I still use today. But I’m so glad I made the decision to switch careers because now I look forward to going to work every day.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It has been very interesting to experience what it feels like to be the sitter. I often write about the decisions made between a sitter and artist in choosing the pose, clothing and props, and what impact these have on the final portrait. It was fascinating to have to consider those things myself and also to understand the difference that a very slight shift in the position of a hand or head can make on the final image. It’s a huge honour to be asked to appear alongside a group of such talented and inspiring women and I am really looking forward to seeing how our different interests and personalities will be reflected in the photographs.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Obviously Sargent is one of my favourite artists, as he is the focus of my sabbatical year at the Met! I am constantly amazed by his seemingly magical ability to represent fabrics and jewellery with just a few brushstrokes, and I love the fashions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century that he represents so beautifully. He’s also a very enigmatic character that I would have loved to have met.

But then I’m interested in how Sargent fits into the grand tradition of portraiture for painting clothing stretching all the way back to the seventeenth century, so other favourite artists are Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Lawrence – all artists whose personal sensitivity to the tactility of fabrics and the subtleties of fashion seems to shine through in their portraiture.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I remember visiting the National Gallery in London on a school trip when I was about seven years old and being completely captivated by the mirror in the Arnolfini Portrait and the strangeness of the couple’s dress. I have taken my own children to see it many times and they love it too.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I decided to wear this kimono because I wanted something that linked to my research on late 19th century fashion, when Japanese art was a key influence on many artists and fashion designers. In having something that gave the impression of loose drapery l also wanted to hint at the idea of timelessness in dress which has been a key theme in western portraiture from the seventeenth century onwards.

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Jennifer Scott Jennifer has been The Sackler Director of Dulwich Picture Gallery since April 2017. She was formerly Director of the Holburne Museum, Bath (2014 – 2017) where she managed the Museum’s 2016 centenary celebrations, led a high-profile acquisition campaign, developed a successful citywide partnership (Bath Museums Partnership), achieved funding for innovative outreach and community engagement projects and initiated new research leading to the re-attribution of previously overlooked works by Brueghel the Younger and David Teniers the Younger. From 2004 – 2014 she was Curator of Paintings at Royal Collection Trust, having previously worked in the curatorial departments of the National Gallery, London and National Museums Liverpool. She has curated numerous exhibitions including ‘Bruegel: Defining a Dynasty’; ‘Impressionism: Capturing Life’; ‘Dutch Landscapes’ and ‘Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting’. She has published widely on the Dutch and Flemish golden age and her book ‘The Royal Portrait: Image and Impact’ is the first survey of state portraiture from within the British Royal Collection. Jennifer took her BA and MA in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute, University of London. She is a Member of the Board of the Living Paintings Trust, Governor of Alleyn’s School, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a Fellow Commoner of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I run Dulwich Picture Gallery – the oldest purpose-built art gallery in the world. I feel honoured to have this role and to work in an industry of passionate and highly skilled people united by the aim to open up art for everyone.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I have worked with portraiture throughout my career and yet have never before sat for a portrait. I found it daunting but also hugely exciting and most of all the experience of meeting Carla made it revelatory. Her sensitivity to light links straight back to the great Old Masters and yet also feels very current. It was a joy to be part of it.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Rembrandt. No hesitation in my answer!

What is your earliest memory involving art?

I was lucky enough to grow up being taken to art galleries (visiting The Bowes Museum in County Durham is one of my earliest memories). But my most meaningful memory is a bit later, when as a teenager I saw Leonardo’s portrait of ‘Ginevra de’ Benci’ and knew then and there that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with art.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I used to think that mine would be the generation to fix gender inequality once and for all, but now I see that we just have to be brave and make improvements for those who follow us. Everything that we are doing in society right now to familiarise the world with female leadership will normalise it for the future. I think we have to trust that integrity and skill will overcome old-fashioned prejudice in the end. Specifically in the art world, it is glaringly apparent that once we have equality in leadership roles, the stories we tell through exhibitions, displays and art itself are more real and compelling.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a beautiful Burberry coat and scarf from their A/W 2017 Collection. Burberry generously loaned this to me for the portrait because, in their words, ‘supporting women in the art world is very important to us’.

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Lisa Small Lisa was born in New York City but grew up in the beautiful and funky town of Woodstock, NY, which has been an important artist’s colony since the early 20th century. She received her BA in Art History from Colgate University, an MA in Arts Administration from New York University, and an MA and M.Phil in Art History from CUNY. She has taught art history and the history of photography at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and the School of Visual Arts, and is now Senior Curator of European Art at the Brooklyn Museum, where she brings to bear all her experience as a generalist. Most recently, she curated the exhibitions ‘Della Robbia: Flora and Fauna’ (2018) and ‘Rodin: The Body in Bronze’ (2017), as well as ‘Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe’ (2014) and the Brooklyn Museum’s touring exhibition ‘French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850– 1950’ (2017). She also coordinated ‘Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern’ (2017), ‘The Rise of Sneaker Culture’ (2015), and ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’ (2013). Before joining the Brooklyn Museum, she was Senior Curator of Exhibitions at the American Federation of Arts, where she coordinated traveling exhibitions including ‘Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales’ and ‘Gods and Heroes: Masterpieces from the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris’. Prior to joining the AFA, she spent many years as a curator at the Dahesh Museum of Art, where she organised and contributed to catalogues for numerous exhibitions, including ‘Napoleon on the Nile: Soldiers, Artists, and the Rediscovery of Egypt’ and ‘Fantasy & Faith: The Art of Gustave Doré’. When she’s not working or walking her dog, she loves to knit and binge watch British mysteries on TV. Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I manage a collection of around 1500 objects, including painting, sculpture, and works on paper that span several centuries. My most important role, as I see it, is to engage our diverse audiences with these objects, many of which may at first seem rather remote to their lives and contemporary concerns. Working with Brooklyn’s unique and varied collections, I love facilitating moments of discovery, challenge, and beauty for our visitors.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Meeting Carla and learning about her work!

Do you have a favourite artist?

It’s impossible for me to choose one, but Édouard Manet and Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun are right up there.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

My parents collected Native American art, so my earliest memories are of being surrounded by beautiful and expressive objects like Navaho rugs and Hopi Kachina dolls.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

At a time when there is still a profound gender gap at the director level of major American museums, I’m proud to work at an institution directed by a woman – one of the few to lead a major encyclopaedic museum. The tide is turning and I think – I hope – we will be seeing even more women move into positions of power and leadership within the art world. We have seen more museums collecting and exhibiting the work of female artists, and having more women in positions to make these crucial decisions will ensure this trend continues.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

My dress is by Prada and I bought it in 2014 to wear to the opening of the first exhibition I curated at the Brooklyn Museum – ‘Killer Heels: The Art of the High Heeled Shoe’. The exhibition looked at the cultural history of the high heel and its relation to power, fantasy, identity, and sexuality. There were many historical objects in the exhibition, but a lot of fashion people were coming to the opening so I felt some pressure to try and look the part! I didn’t stray too far from my standard colour – black – but for the opening I wore it with some purple Prada heels!

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Sophia Thomassen Sophia was born in Amsterdam and is an art historian specialising in Dutch seventeenth century art.

She graduated from the University of Amsterdam in 2016 and wrote her thesis on the painters and brothers Job and Gerrit Berckheyde. She currently works at the Print Room of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where she catalogues the collection of French prints. Among other things she has worked at Christie’s Amsterdam and made a television program called ‘Kunstraadsels’ on Dutch 17th century paintings.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

My role in the art world varies, which I enjoy. But I believe it mainly consists of enthusing people about art by providing them with the information and stories behind it. I continuously find myself asking questions, all stemming from everlasting curiosity and wonderment. Doing research and trying to find answers to certain questions is what I love to do. There are so many stories to be told in just one artwork. It’s about shedding light on those stories. This is what I have been doing in the past by assisting school classes in the Hermitage Amsterdam, being part of a television program, and what I continue doing with scholarly research and by cataloguing and disclosing artworks to the greater public.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Photography has always played an important role in my life. Having a father who is a photographer’s agent and a mother who was a model in the ‘80s, I can relate to framing beauty through a lens. I enjoyed shooting with Carla a lot. I love the sensitivity in her work and the natural light she uses.

I’m happy and humbled to be a part of this series celebrating the individuality and diversity of women in the art world.

Do you have a favourite artist?

I don’t really have one favourite artist. I can be captivated by artworks of different artists of different eras, and there are just so many of them to love. I am always intrigued by the work of Gerrit Berckheyde, a cityscape painter from Haarlem and the subject of my thesis. He painted so many interesting paintings of my hometown Amsterdam, capturing the most beautiful buildings and streets only just built, or still being built. These paintings to me result in a better understanding and appreciation of my city. That being said, I can be just as infatuated by the ancient sculptures of Praxiteles, paintings by the Sienese artist Simone Martini, the prints and pastels by Odilon Redon, Constantin Brancusi’s sculptures or the paintings by Gerhard Richter.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Because of my parents’ professions, I have always been surrounded by photographs for example by Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. I think this embedded in me the understanding and appreciation of capturing or creating beauty and telling stories through visual media. I also remember visiting an exhibition about Cees van Dongen and I can recall being absolutely mesmerised. I must have been around four of five years old at the time.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Looking around me, I believe the position and presence of women in the art world is growing. We are represented better every day and I’m very happy to see so many inspiring women in this wonderful series of portraits!

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing Azzedine Alaïa. To me, he was the greatest couturier of all and a true artist. My mother was one of his muses in the eighties and they shared a beautiful friendship. I’ve known him all my life and lived with him in Paris for a while after I graduated high school. The week we took these photographs, he suddenly passed away. They capture me at an emotional and sensitive moment.

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Ingrid Trijzelaar Art has been Ingrid’s passion since childhood, in the broadest sense. Later it came to play a role in her professional life. She worked firstly for an art dealer specialised in 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings for a period of eight years. After this several different positions came along. She was gallery assistant for a gallery in Modern Art, followed by a unique opportunity as guest curator for the corporate art collection of ABN-Amro bank. This job ranged from giving art talks and lectures, to furnishing private banking offices and offering art advice to private clients. Now she is mainly focused on her role as an agent for emerging talent.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

Art has been a passion since my childhood. For me it is a powerful messenger to the world. As an art collector and art lover I want to share my expertise in as many ways as possible to contribute to a better world and to stimulate other people to dare to start collecting art. The most important thing for me is to create awareness via art.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

The ‘magic feeling’ of being photographed in a way out of the ordinary. It makes you feel different and mysterious for a moment. Carla catches the soul behind the person.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Only one? That is a very difficult question but OK, let me mention at least three! Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning and I have a weakness for Der Blaue Reiter.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

When I was thirteen years old I bought my very first piece of art from a Dutch artist influenced by De Ploeg. Because I did not have that much money to spend, he gave me the painting for a symbolic sum. Ten years later, when I was a young urban professional, I met him again to buy another work, and he said to me – ‘now you have to pay me the full amount young lady!’ So I did, and have never regretted it.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I believe in female strength, a softer power that is indispensable in this patriarchal society.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing a dress by Jade van der Mark. Statement made by Jade. She is an emerging young artist who combines art and fashion in unique pieces of art. In 2016, she won the Dutch fashion award in Milan. Details of her paintings are shown in the dresses which are all hand-made.

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Salma Tuqan Salma, born in Washington (USA), is the Contemporary Middle East Curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, responsible for Arab art and design programming at the museum, and co-curator of the biennial international Jameel Prize exhibition. She graduated from Cambridge University with a BA in History of Art and has an MA in Arts Policy and Cultural Management from Birkbeck University.

She worked at Art Dubai from its inauguration in 2007 to 2011 as Head of Artists’ Projects, as well as Artistic Director of Contemparabia, a series of cultural itineraries for museum groups. She has contributed to other projects as an independent curator and facilitator, including Palestine c/o Venice at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009) and the Wind Tunnel Project in Farnborough (2014). She works closely with cultural organisations on strategy and is a committee member of the Arab Image Foundation (Beirut), The Palestinian Museum (Birzeit), The Khatt Foundation (Amsterdam), a Trustee of the Crossway Foundation (London) and Strategic Advisor to NuMu (Guatemala City) and previously, Delfina Foundation (London).

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I work as the Curator for Contemporary Middle Eastern Art and Design at the V&A, and support various non-for-profit organisations in the UK, the Middle East and Latin America in Strategic Advising.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

To be included amongst a whole group of women in the arts whom I care for and admire.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It is very difficult to single out one artist as my favourite. Throughout my career in the arts, I have had the privilege to work with many artists and designers whose work I deeply respect. Amongst these are Ruanne Abou-Rahme and Basel Abbas, Cevdet Erek, Mehdi Moutashar and brothers Elias and Yousef Anastas, with whom I recently worked on a commission for the 2017 London Design Festival at the V&A and which will be permanently installed in the Cremisan Valley in Palestine soon.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the incredible Cast courts at the Victoria & Albert Museum, a vast gallery of 19th century reproductions of Italian monuments.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

Throughout art history, many women have been shut out of positions of power and influence. I am glad to see shifts happening here as we are no longer afraid to demand equality and condemn abuse.

Exhibited at The Weiss Ga"ery (16 - 31 May 2018)

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Marta Weiss PhD with her daughter Penelope Marta was born in New York City and holds a BA in History of Art from Harvard and an MA and PhD from Princeton in the same field. She has been a curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum since 2007. Previously she spent two years in the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her publications include ‘Light from the Middle East: New Photography’ and ‘Julia Margaret Cameron: Photographs to electrify you with delight and startle the world’, both based on V&A exhibitions. Her latest book, ‘Making It Up: Photographic Fictions’ will be published by Thames & Hudson in 2018.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

I’m a curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

Having looked at and written about so many portrait photographs, I enjoyed the experience of being involved in making one. I liked how collaborative it felt.

Do you have a favourite artist?

No. What is your earliest memory involving art?

Visiting the Guggenheim with my grandmother at age five and being allowed to choose some postcards in the shop. One was a Kandinsky, one was Picasso’s still life ‘Mandolin and Guitar’ and I can’t remember the others.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I’ve been surrounded by women at every stage in my career but most of the top museum jobs are held by men. I’d like to see the balance shift.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

My father bought this dress for my mother at Saks Fifth Avenue in December 1970. There’s a photo of her wearing it on New Year’s Eve that year, holding my sister, who was six weeks old. I only found out about the photo after I had posed in the dress with my own daughter.

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Zoe Whitley PhD Zoe is an art curator who mainly works with living visual artists. She earned a BA in Art History at Swarthmore College and an MA in the History of Design at the Royal College of Art in London.

From December 2005 to February 2013, she was a curator in the V&A’s now defunct Contemporary Programmes, organising temporary exhibitions and overseeing the 2012 Friday Late with MasterCard series of public events. In October 2013, she became Curator of Contemporary British Art at Tate Britain on a part-time basis. For 2014 and 2015 she also held the dual role of Curator of International Art at Tate Modern, where she focused on contemporary African art. In her current role as Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, she co-curated the major exhibition ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’. Named one of ArtLyst’s 2017 ‘100 Alternative Powerhouses’ in the not-for-profit contemporary art world, Zoe earned her PhD under the supervision of recent Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid. She is a founding member of AWITA, the Association of Women in the Arts. Zoe has been announced as curator of the British Pavilion, Venice Biennale for 2019.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

There isn’t one, single ‘art world’. There are art worlds – plural. Some are professional, others are social; they can be intimate and under-the-radar, while others have a higher public profile; there are subversive ones, and those that represent the Establishment. It’s possible to occupy more than one of these so-called worlds simultaneously. Besides, a group of individuals might be deemed radical by some, and mainstream by others. It all depends on your vantage point. The most important people in my conception of any art world is the community of artists that sustains it. My role is to use my voice to champion artists. I’m lucky some of them have become friends and mentors along the way.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

I have always loved clothing and fashion. My grandmother and her sisters were all accomplished clothing designers, part of a dynamic organisation of talented black women called NAFAD, the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers. Some of the group’s items are now in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. I grew up as part of a generation who sought out black fashion models on magazine covers and in their pages, few though they were. At the time, it was stated plainly that black girls weren’t as marketable and that sales went down when they were featured prominently. My whole life, the women in my family rushed to the newsstands to support (in our small way) black representation in fashion. Franca Sozzani’s Black Issue of Vogue Italia was a genuine affirmation. I’m no model, but it’s super flattering to have been asked!

Do you have a favourite artist?

I have so many favourites that the very term becomes pretty meaningless. I usually deflect this question altogether by saying it’s like, as a parent, naming a favourite child. My daughter is an only child, so that is an easier question for me! But using my voice to champion artists, it feels right to name some of those I respect most (with the caveat that the list is incomplete). Artists whose work matters greatly to me runs the gamut from Otto Dix to Ed Ruscha, Lubaina Himid to Ben Osawe, Anthea Hamilton to Betye Saar, Barkley Hendricks to Candice Breitz, Edward Krasinski to Mikhael Subotzky, Cauleen Smith to Jack Whitten, Frank Bowling to John Akomfrah, the Guerrilla Girls to Paul Peter Piech.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a child, I often made art and crafts projects with my grandmother. One of our most ambitious was a hot air balloon for my stuffed animals, made from a laundry basket, a crocheted blanket and clothes-hanger armature suspended from a hanging plant hook. In art-speak, it would be a ‘sitespecific installation of found objects’. To me, it was just a delight to help make an idea become real.

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

I usually quote other, wiser, people on this. Guerrilla Girl ‘Frida Kahlo’ has said ‘unless all our voices are included in the history of art, it isn’t a history of art, it’s a history of power’. Women curators and

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scholars are doing such important work in redressing those silences in art history. I’m trying to do my part in this collective endeavour. But then, I’m ever mindful of artist Phyllida Barlow’s view of external validation: ‘Achieving public recognition and approval [is] a very small part of being successful…

Success happens in all sorts of ways. There’s sensational success. There’s youth success. And there’s the lifetime success of an artist keeping going, against hell and high water’. The women in the arts who impress me most have certainly persevered through hell and high water, irrespective of the accolades.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

Like so many things in my working life, the dress I am wearing starts with a visual artist. When I was in Johannesburg to curate the special projects for the 10th anniversary of the Johannesburg art fair, I met Bronwyn Katz. Katz is a talented young artist who is also a member of iQhiya, a formidable collective of women artists I follow via social media, as well as through their respective art practices. On top of being talented, Bronwyn is stylish. I asked her where she got her outfit on the day we met and, ever generous, she introduced me to her friend, designer Thebe Magugu. The Matron Dress is a signature design of his and I was very excited to buy it in red, where previously it had been a black and white design.

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Marjorie E. Wieseman PhD Betsy is an art historian and Chair of European Art from Classical Antiquity to 1800 and Curator of European Paintings and Sculpture at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Wieseman was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. She received BA and MA degrees from the University of Delaware, and a PhD from Columbia University in New York. She currently lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio. Wieseman specialises in 17th century Netherlandish art, with an emphasis on Dutch portraiture and genre painting. She has also written on portrait miniatures, the technical examination of paintings, and the history of collecting. She held curatorial positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio; and the Cincinnati Art Museum. From 2006 – 2017 she was employed at the National Gallery, London, as Curator of Dutch and Flemish Painting 1600 – 1800.

Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?

As a curator of pre-modern European art (primarily paintings and sculpture), I often feel like I am straddling two very different worlds: the ‘canon’ of Western European culture and society, and the dramatically different world of the 21st century. I see my role as a mediator or translator, responsible for honouring and preserving the past while at the same time enabling people today to find a meaningful connection to works of art created centuries ago. I try to encourage people to slow down and focus on the beauty of artistic creation. It does not always happen – and that’s OK – but when you see someone emotionally moved by a work of art, it is pure magic.

What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?

It is a great honour to be included in this project: it made me reflect on all the wonderful and inspiring women I have the privilege of working with on a daily basis. I have long admired Carla’s work and never dreamed I would have the opportunity to be photographed by her! And I loved being draped in such luxurious fabrics – van Dyck come to life.

Do you have a favourite artist?

It fluctuates according to my state of mind, but Gerard ter Borch, Gerhard Richter, Peter Paul Rubens and Johannes Vermeer are among the constant favourites.

What is your earliest memory involving art?

As a very young child, my parents brought me to the New York World’s Fair. Michelangelo’s Pietà was on display in the Vatican pavilion, with a rolling walkway that kept visitors moving past the exhibit at a steady pace. From the first glimpse, I was so absolutely mesmerised by this beautiful object – smooth and softly gleaming, intriguing, complex and incredibly moving – that I kept stepping backwards on the walkway in order to continue my ‘close looking’. My parents, however, moved along with the crowd as instructed, and panicked when they reached the exit and realised they had lost their child…

Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?

We need to ignore what others present as obstacles and do what we feel is right and important.

What are you wearing, and is there a story behind it?

I am wearing – or rather inhabiting – a gorgeous piece of brocade fabric from Watts of Westminster.

From amongst the heap of fabrics on hand, I was immediately drawn to the colours of this piece, rich turquoise and shimmering gold; only later did I realise that it exactly matched the necklace I was wearing that day. Interestingly, as Carla was arranging the fabric for the shoot, she discovered that the back of the fabric had a more subtle sheen and a better colour balance than the face.

Wrapped in such an elegant fabric, I felt for a moment like Hélène Fourment wearing nothing but a fur, or some Van Dyckian lady posed for the ages.

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The Weiss Gallery 59 Jermyn Street London SW1Y 6LX +44(0)207 409 0035 www.weissgallery.com