Barnes Foundation Lecture: Caetlin Benson-Allott on the Female Gaze

What is the female gaze? In conjunction with The Barnes Foundation’s exhibition Suzanne Valadon: Model, Painter, Rebel, scholar Caetlin Benson-Allott explores the concept of the female gaze—does it exist, and if so, how can it represent the world differently? Benson-Allott, a professor of English and film and media studies at Georgetown University, will discuss the history of the male gaze, how its recognition led to the search for a female gaze, and how contemporary filmmakers, critics, and scholars are redefining the female gaze in the 21st century.

Suzanne Valadon: Model, Painter, Rebel, a monographic exhibition of French painter Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938) and her rich contributions to the early 20th-century art world, is on view at the Barnes through January 9, 2022.