Description

*A Waterstones Best Book of 2023*
*A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week*
*A New York Times Editor’s Pick*

‘A total eye-opener, I loved it’ Nuala McGovern

‘You’ll never look at Renaissance portraits in the same way’ Maggie O’Farrell

‘Terrific … that rare thing, a serious history that is both accessible and entertaining’ Literary Review

Plunge into the intimate history of cosmetics, and discover how, for centuries, women have turned to make up as a rich source of creativity, community and resistance

The Renaissance was an era obsessed with appearances. And beauty culture from the time has left traces that give us a window into an overlooked realm of history – revealing everything from sixteenth-century women’s body anxieties to their sophisticated botanical and chemical knowledge.

How to be a Renaissance Woman allows us to glimpse the world of the female artists, artisans and businesswomen carving out space for themselves, as well as those who gained power and influence in the cut-throat world of the court.

In a vivid exploration of women’s lives, Professor Jill Burke invites us to rediscover historical cosmetic recipes and unpack the origins of the beauty ideals that are still with us today.

‘Taking a fresh, women-led perspective, Burke highlights a rich tapestry of female experience that encompasses everyone from artisans to aristocrats … The everyday women mixing their own beauty products should rightly be considered chemists and botanists’ The Times

‘A fun, informative and occasionally sobering look at the lives of women across social strata … The real shock of the book is not what’s unfamiliar, it is how much of it seems to mirror today’s obsessions and controversies’ The New York Times

Publisher Review

A lively and intriguing exploration of female life in the Renaissance, lifting the lid on anxieties and aspirations that will sound oddly familiar to any 21st century reader. You'll never look at Renaissance portraits in the same way -- Maggie O'Farrell Taking a fresh, women-led perspective, Burke highlights a rich tapestry of female experience that encompasses everyone from artisans to aristocrats ... the everyday women mixing their own beauty products should rightly be considered chemists and botanists. Successfully creating these cosmetics required knowledge of plants and their properties, as well as how to transform them via different techniques. Renaissance women had greater scientific knowledge and experience than they are often credited with * The Times *