The return of Charles II to the English throne after eleven years of Interregnum heralded the beginning of a new era in which the court was characterized by the licentious behavior of the new king. Edited by the authors of the critically acclaimed Painted Ladies: Women at the Court of Charles II (2002), this book brings together ten distinguished scholars of history, literature, music, theatre, and art to explore the political and cultural implications of the court’s transgressive new character. With particular reference to the perception and representation of women, it offers a varied examination of topics including popular prints and broadsheets; court masque; poetry and painted portraits; and the operation of women in the political sphere.

Published in association with the Yale Center for British Art and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Contributions by: Kevin Sharpe, Tim Harris, Sheila O'Connell, Susan Shifrin, Andrew Walkling, Steven Zwicker, Rachel Weil, Joseph Roach