Henry VIII & Popular Tudorism

April 10, 2012

Tatiana String, Adjunct Associate Professor of Art History and History

What can explain popular culture’s perennial interest in particular eras of the past? Why did millions of people regularly tune into the stylized rendition of Henry VIII’s court in the popular television show, The Tudors?  A noteworthy scholarly trend in recent decades has been a growing interest in the ways in which societies utilize the past as a cultural resource, as a repertoire of quotable designs and styles, as a vantage point from which to frame political and social critiques, as a source of identities, and as a refuge from present-day anxieties. Tatiana String will explore the modern cultural appropriation of the Tudor age and the enduring popularity of the Tudors, with particular reference to representations of Henry VIII.

Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.