Suffragist Artists in Partnership: Gender, Word and Image (Edinburgh Critical Studies in Victorian Culture)

This book explores the interconnected creative partnerships of the Wattses and the De Morgans: Victorian artists, writers and suffragists. The couples were close friends and collaborators. The study demonstrates how Mary and George Watts, and Evelyn and William De Morgan worked, individually and together, to support greater gender equality and female liberation in the nineteenth century. The author traces their relationship to early and more recent feminism, reclaiming them as influential early feminists and reading their works from twentieth-century theoretical perspectives. By focusing on neglected female figures in creative partnerships, the book challenges longstanding perceptions of them as the subordinate wives of famous Victorian artists and of their marriages as representative of the traditional gender binary. This is also the first academic critical study of Mary Watts’s recently published diaries, Evelyn De Morgan’s unpublished writings, and other previously unexplored archival material by the Wattses and the De Morgans. It offers a more nuanced understanding of power relations between the sexes as well as of the relationship between feminism, literature and art in the period. Explores The Interconnected Creative Partnerships Of The Wattses And De Morgans - Victorian Artists, Writers And Suffragists This Is The First Book Dedicated To Examining The Marital Relationships Of Mary And George Watts And Evelyn And William De Morgan As Creative Partnerships. The Study Demonstrates How They Worked, Individually And Together, To Support Greater Gender Equality And Female Liberation In The Nineteenth Century. The Author Traces Their Relationship To Early And More Recent Feminism, Reclaiming Them As Influential Early Feminists And Reading Their Works From Twentieth-century Theoretical Perspectives. By Focusing On Neglected Female Figures In Creative Partnerships, The Book Challenges Longstanding Perceptions Of Them As The Subordinate Wives Of Famous Victorian Artists And Of Their Marriages As Representatives Of The Traditional Gender Binary. This Is Also The First Academic Critical Study Of Mary Watts's Recently Published Diaries, Evelyn De Morgan's Unpublished Writings And Other Previously Unexplored Archival Material By The Wattses And The De Morgans. Key Features:reveals The Ways In Which The Couples Promoted Progressive Socio-political Ideasdraws On Extensive Archival Research And Analyses Unpublished Writings, Including Diaries And Poemsfocuses On Neglected Female Figures In Creative Partnerships To Challenge Longstanding Perceptions Of Them As The Submissive Or Subordinate Wives Of Famous Victorian Artists, And Of Their Marriages As Representatives Of The Traditional Gender Binaryshows How Male And Female Writers And Artists Engaged With Mid-to-late Victorian Feminism Together And Individually, Reclaiming Them As Influential Early Feminists Introduction: ‘Woman is Now Beginning to Take Her Place’ Part I: Practice, Partnership, Politics 1. Mary and George Watts 2. Evelyn and William De Morgan 3. Self/Portraits Part II: Artists’ Writings: Private and Published 4. Women Artists’ Diaries 5. Inscribing the Female Body Part III: Artists’ Readings: Literary Sources and Subjects 6. Feminist Readings and Poetic Paintings 7. The Metamorphic Mermaid in Fairytales and Feminism Conclusion