Monday, July 4, 2016

THE SOCIETY OF FEMALE ARTISTS

Summer is here, which means I pick up my research into female art from where it was left last summer! As a child, the first book I read (together with the Italian photo romances) was Little Women, and I immediately identified with artistic and coquettish Amy. I never liked Jo March, and I notice that she bullies and is jealous of Amy from start to finish. Personally, I always identify with the pretty coquettes and never with the clever or serious protagonist.

Also, I hate the dichotomy - girls can very well be both coquettish AND clever. This is why I love Jane from Jane Eyre: she is serious and bookish, but she also likes to dress well and is likened by Mr Rochester to a fairy or an elf.
My research takes me into Victorian periodicals, where lots of sermonizing to stop women from becoming artists came up against writers who admired women's art and the Society of Female Artists.

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