What Is A Woman To Do?: A Reader On Women, Work And Art, C. 1830-1890 (cultural Interactions: Studies In The Relationship Between The Arts)

This anthology contributes to a scholarly understanding of the aesthetics and economics of female artistic labour in the Victorian period. It maps out the evolution of the Woman Question in a number of areas, including the status and suitability of artistic professions for women, their engagement with new forms of work and their changing relationship to the public sphere. The wealth of material gathered here – from autobiographies, conduct manuals, diaries, periodical articles, prefaces and travelogues – traces the extensive debate on women’s art, feminism and economics from the 1830s to the 1890s. Combining for the first time nineteenth-century criticism on literature and the visual arts, performance and craftsmanship, the selected material reveals the different ideological positions surrounding the transition of women from idleness to serious occupation. The distinctive primary sources explore the impact of artistic labour upon perceptions of feminine sensibility and aesthetics, the conflicting views of women towards the pragmatics of their own creative labour as they encompassed vocations, trades and professions, and the complex relationship between paid labour and female fame and notoriety. Contents Acknowledgements xiii Editors’ Note xv Introduction: Art and Economics for the Middle-Class Woman 1 Section One Negotiating the Domestic Ideal 15 Introduction 17 [Sarah Lewis], Woman’s Mission (1839) 21 Marion Reid, A Plea for Women (1843) 27 ‘Advice to the Ladies’, Eliza Cook’s Journal (1850) 35 Barbara Leigh Smith [Bodichon], Women and Work (1857) 39 [Dinah Mulock Craik], A Woman’s Thoughts about Women (1858) 47 [Harriet Martineau], ‘Female Industry’, Edinburgh Review (1859) 57 Florence Nightingale, ‘Cassandra’ (1860) 63 A. R. L., ‘Facts Versus Ideas’, English Woman’s Journal (1861) 69 [Dora Greenwell], ‘Our Single Women’, North British Review (1862) 75 Charlotte Mary Yonge, ‘Money-Making’, Womankind (1877) 83 Emily Pfeif fer, Women and Work. An Essay, etc. (1888) 89 Section Two The Feminine Aesthetic 97 Introduction 99 Frances Anne Butler [Fanny Kemble], Journal (1835) 103 M. A. [Mary Ann] Stodart, Female Writers: Thoughts on Their Proper Sphere, and Their Powers of Usefulness (1842) 109 R. H. [Richard Hengist] Horne, A New Spirit of the Age (1844) 113 [Anne Richelieu Lamb Dryden], Can Woman Regenerate Society? (1844) 119 Currer Bell [Charlotte Brontë], ‘Editor’s Preface to the New Edition of Wuthering Heights’ (1850) 127 Anna Mary Howitt, An Art Student in Munich (1853) 133 [George Eliot], ‘Woman in France: Madame de Sablé’, Westminster Review (1854) 139 Elizabeth Strutt, The Feminine Soul: Its Nature and Attributes. With Thoughts upon Marriage, and Friendly Hints upon Feminine Duties (1857) 147 R. H. [Richard Holt] Hutton, ‘Novels by the Authoress of John Halifax’, North British Review (1858) 155 F. T. [Francis Turner] Palgrave, ‘Women and the Fine Arts’, Macmillan’s Magazine (1865) 161 [Anne Thackeray Ritchie], ‘Heroines and their Grandmothers’, Cornhill Magazine (1865) 169 [Anne Mozley], ‘Clever Women’, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (1868) 175 G. F. [George Frederic] Watts, ‘Art Needlework’, Nineteenth Century (1881) 183 ‘The Woman’s Part in Domestic Decoration’, Magazine of Art (1881) 187 Section Three From Pastime to Profession 193 Introduction 195 [George Henry Lewes], ‘The Conditions of Authors in England, Germany, and France’, Fraser’s Magazine for Town and Country (1847) 199 S. [Sarah Anderton], ‘A Few Words about Actresses and the Profession of the Stage’, English Woman’s Journal (1859) 205 J. [John] Stewart, ‘Art-Decoration, A Suitable Employment for Women’, Art Journal (1860) 211 F., ‘A Plea for Minerva’, The Rose, the Shamrock and the Thistle (1864) 219 Bessie Rayner Parkes, Essays on Woman’s Work (1865) 223 ‘Photography as an Employment for Women’, Englishwoman’s Review (1867) 231 J. [John] Cordy Jeaf freson, ‘Female Artists and the Art-Schools of England’, Art Pictorial and Industrial (1870) 235 Jennie June Croly, ‘An Author or a Dressmaker?’, Woman and Work (1874) 241 Mrs H. R. Haweis [Mary Eliza Haweis], The Art of Beauty (1878) 245 Augusta Webster, ‘The Novel-Making Trade’ (1879) 255 Lady M. [Marion Alford], Needlework as Art (1886) 261 Frederick J. Crowest, ‘Music as a Livelihood’, Lady’s World (1887) 267 Section Four Fame, Reputation, and the Public Woman 273 Introduction 275 H. M. [Harriet Martineau], ‘Literary Lionism’, London and Westminster Review (1839) 279 Mrs Jameson [Anna Jameson], ‘Adelaide Kemble: And the Lyrical Drama in 1841’ (1846) 289 Mrs S. C. Hall [Anna Maria Hall], ‘Memories of Miss Jane Porter’, Art Journal (1850) 299 ‘The Society of Female Artists’, Lady’s Newspaper (1857) 303 ‘Rachel’s Last Portrait’, Lady’s Newspaper (1858) 307 Mrs Mowatt [Anna Cora Mowatt], ‘Ballet Girls (From the Autobiography of an Actress)’, Eliza Cook’s Journal (1854) 311 ‘A Literary Life’, Ladies’ Treasury (1864) 315 Charles Shandon [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], ‘A Remonstrance’, Belgravia (1867) 319 ‘Eminent Women Series. Edited by John H. Ingram. – George Eliot. By Mathilde Blind. (Allen & Co.)’, Athenaeum (1883) 325 M. A. W. [Mary Augusta Ward], ‘Style and Miss Austen’, Macmillan’s Magazine (1884) 329 Margaret Lonsdale, ‘Platform Women’, Nineteenth Century (1884) 335 Helen Blackburn, ‘Women’s Books – A Possible Library’, Englishwoman’s Review (1889) 341 H. H. [Helen Hamilton] Gardener, ‘The Immoral Influence of Women in Literature’, Arena (1890) 345 ‘Memorials to Women’, Englishwoman’s Review (1892) 353 ‘Ambitious Women’, Hearth and Home (1894) 355 Bibliography 359 Index 377 Contributes to an understanding of the aesthetics and economics of female artistic labour in the Victorian period. This title maps out the evolution of Woman Question in a number of areas, including status and suitability of artistic professions for women, their engagement with new forms of work and their changing relationship to public sphere. Deals with the anthology that contribute to a scholarly understanding of aesthetics and economics of female artistic labour in Victorian period. This title maps out evolution of Woman Question in a number of areas, including status and suitability of artistic professions for women, their engagement with new forms of work and more.