Judy Chicago (American, born 1939). <em>Eleanor of Aquitaine Place Setting</em>, 1974–1979. Runner: Cotton/linen base fabric, woven interface support material (horsehair, wool, and linen), cotton twill tape, silk, synthetic gold cord, tapestry, bleached linen, wool, silk satin, silk thread, felt, appliquéd fabric, thread
Plate: Porcelain with overglaze enamel (China paint) and rainbow luster glaze, Runner: 52 3/8 x 30 5/8 in. (133 x 77.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10-PS-19. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2002.10-PS-19_plate_PS9.jpg)

Judy Chicago (American, born 1939). Eleanor of Aquitaine Place Setting, 1974–1979. Runner: Cotton/linen base fabric, woven interface support material (horsehair, wool, and linen), cotton twill tape, silk, synthetic gold cord, tapestry, bleached linen, wool, silk satin, silk thread, felt, appliquéd fabric, thread Plate: Porcelain with overglaze enamel (China paint) and rainbow luster glaze, Runner: 52 3/8 x 30 5/8 in. (133 x 77.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10-PS-19. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2002.10-PS-19_plate_PS9.jpg)

DOWNLOAD

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Who is Eleanor of Aquitaine?

Eleanor of Aquitaine was queen of both France and England in the 12th century, making her one of the most powerful women of the time. After separating from her second husband, she moved her household to her lands in western France and developed the Court of Love which encouraged courtly love, ideals, and etiquette governing the courtship of knights and ladies. This would go on to become the accepted mode of behavior for the nobility throughout medieval Europe.

Tell me more.

This place setting is for Eleanor of Aquitaine. She served as queen of France and England in the 12th century, making her one of the most powerful women of the time. Her plate features a fleur-de-lis, a symbol of France commonly found in art of the Middle Ages. It is also related to the iris, both are symbols of the Virgin Mary, alluding to Eleanor of Aquitaine's power.

Cool, my daughter studied her in AP World History.

That's awesome. One of the reasons Chicago was inspired to create The Dinner Party was because she felt her education lacked recognition of prominent women in history. It's cool to know that one of these historically overlooked women is know being highlighted in school.

I know Chicago says the embroidery style reflects the woman’s epoch but I wonder if there is more in depth info available about the different styles of embroidery and reasons behind the different materials that Eleanor's runner is made from?

As you've said, the different techniques relate to the different time periods and women represented. On Eleanor of Aquitaine's runner, you will see references to tapestries woven by noblewomen (like her!) during the 12th century.

Eleanor of Aquitaine Place Setting

Judy Chicago

Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art

On View: Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, 4th Floor

ARTIST Judy Chicago, American, born 1939

MEDIUM Runner: Cotton/linen base fabric, woven interface support material (horsehair, wool, and linen), cotton twill tape, silk, synthetic gold cord, tapestry, bleached linen, wool, silk satin, silk thread, felt, appliquéd fabric, thread Plate: Porcelain with overglaze enamel (China paint) and rainbow luster glaze

DATES 1974–1979

DIMENSIONS Runner: 52 3/8 x 30 5/8 in. (133 x 77.8 cm) Plate:14 5/8 x 14 11/16 x 1 1/2 in. (37.1 x 37.3 x 4 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 2002.10-PS-19

CREDIT LINE Gift of The Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, 4th Floor

CAPTION Judy Chicago (American, born 1939). Eleanor of Aquitaine Place Setting, 1974–1979. Runner: Cotton/linen base fabric, woven interface support material (horsehair, wool, and linen), cotton twill tape, silk, synthetic gold cord, tapestry, bleached linen, wool, silk satin, silk thread, felt, appliquéd fabric, thread Plate: Porcelain with overglaze enamel (China paint) and rainbow luster glaze, Runner: 52 3/8 x 30 5/8 in. (133 x 77.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10-PS-19. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2002.10-PS-19_plate_PS9.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 2002.10-PS-19_plate_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2013

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

The Brooklyn Museum holds a non-exclusive license to reproduce images of this work of art from the rights holder named here. The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org. If you wish to contact the rights holder for this work, please email copyright@brooklynmuseum.org and we will assist if we can.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

Who is Eleanor of Aquitaine?

Tell me more.

Cool, my daughter studied her in AP World History.