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The Graces
The Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court
Brief Description
Impressively original and ingenious OPHELIA FIELD, author of The Favourite Gripping GARETH RUSSELL, author of Queen James Illuminating ALICE HUNT, THE TIMES Refreshing, immersive and compelling CLARE JACKSON, author of The Mirror of Great Britain A spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and...
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See moreA spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her ‘graces’, the extraordinary women who practiced art, poetry and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court.
A spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her ‘graces’, the extraordinary women who practiced art, poetry and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court.
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Description
Impressively original and ingenious OPHELIA FIELD, author of The Favourite
Gripping GARETH RUSSELL, author of Queen James
Illuminating ALICE HUNT, THE TIMES
Refreshing, immersive and compelling CLARE JACKSON, author of The Mirror of Great Britain
A spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her 'graces', the extraordinary women who practiced art, poetry and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court.
In 1673, fifteen-year-old Maria d’Este travelled from Italy to marry James, the future King of England, who was twenty-five years her senior. At the debauched Restoration court, Maria recreated the world she’d left behind – one in which women were highly educated, exercised power and celebrated art and artists with concentrated patronage.
From Sarah Churchill, keen politician and ‘favourite’ of Queen Anne, to revered poet Anne Finch and founder of a legendary literary salon Hortense Mancini, the women Maria surrounded herself with defied the conventions of their time. The Graces resurrects their lives, shedding light on a hidden world of female friendship, education and artistic endeavour.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781526663764
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 23 April 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 26.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 280g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Breeze Barrington is a historian specialising in the artistic cultures of the seventeenth century, with particular focus on women’s history and female artists. She holds a PhD on the literary and artistic cultures of the early Stuart court and has written for outlets including the Financial Times and the TLS. She has also worked as a consultant for Working Title and Monumental Pictures. Breeze has taught at many universities, including the University of Cambridge and is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
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The Graces
A spellbinding work of history that uncovers the inner lives and work of Maria of Modena and her ‘graces’, the extraordinary women who practised art, poetry, and politics within the misogyny of the Restoration court. In 1673, fifteen-year-old Maria d’Este travelled from Italy to marry James, Duke of York, the future King of England and a man twenty-five years her...Hardback$4699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
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