Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Hassold, Cris

Keywords

Art History: Nineteenth Century, Domestic

Area of Concentration

Art History

Abstract

This thesis explores images of the middle- to upper-class woman in her domestic realm from the mid-nineteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century, extending the topics observed via Edward Hopper's paintings to the middle of the twentieth century. Observed through Impressionist works, which attempted to show everyday life, the validity of these images becomes questionable; since they were primarily painted by male artists, it is possible that the models were depicted as particularly exemplary of the female stereotype. However, as the artists strived to capture reality, they seem to simultaenously capture an emotional state of ennui that is shared by these domestic women. Elements of the bourgeois woman's routine become perceivable in tropes of the lack of activity of repose, and the solitary activities of reading and sewing, during which the woman often seems to escape in a state of reverie. The woman is often made comparable to the space in her appearance, visually tying her to the domestic realm she is meant to decorate and inhabit. When other female subjects are added, the isolation of the figures remains, emphasizing a lack of connection even between similar subjects. More blatantly, the tension between the two sexes becomes apparent in images of couples in the domestic space. This almost tangible emotional state even becomes adopted by the space in which the figures are placed, allowing for the start for an exploration of the abstraction of the domestic interior. The inclusion of Edward Hopper's works exhibits the detrimental effects of confining the woman to the home during the cult of domesticity, revealing a more universal unhappiness in modern times.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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