The Woman Question - Historical Context

What is the Woman Question?

A Brief History

"The woman question" was a topic of debate in the late Victorian Era surrounding the role of women in society. This included their place in social life, politics, education, and the work force. The feminist movement began in the 1850's and increased in size towards the 1880's and 1890's. The members of the movement were largely middle-class women who took up work in areas such as philanthropy to show that women could excel in places outside of the home. This idea that women and men could take up the same roles in society was very controversial and caused a lot of backlash. This controversy sparked debate that can be seen recorded in essays published by periodicals of the time.

Images Surrounding the Woman Question

"Young Woman Drawing"

This portrait depicting a young woman dressed in white looking directly at the audience while drawing, was originally thought to have been done by a man. Further discoveries showed that the artist was actually Marie-Denise Villers. It is believed to be a self-portrait where Villers is sitting in a gallery of the Louvre, which was historically used by women. Women both taught and learned art techniques here. For this reason and the fact that there is very little evidence of any sort of sexual nature that is being conveyed in the art work, critics claim that it is feminist.

"Reading 'Le Figaro'"

The artist of this painting was Mary Cassatt. She was known for her feminist views that impacted both her lifestyle and her artwork. Not only did she go against her parents wishes to pursue a career in art and fund it all herself, but she also chose to use techniques that were new and not popular in the time. Aside from her strange stroke patterns and use of colors, Cassett also chose to paint women in the way she saw them. She abandoned the idea that women should only be beautiful models and chose to depict them as the intelligent and wise women she knew. In this painting, Cassett painted her well-educated mother and showed her reading a popular, well-respected newspaper of the time.

Advertisement From Harper's Bazar

After the rise of the discussion about the woman question started, many periodicals began to include advertisements that appealed to people from different sides of the argument. In this advertisement from April 1, 1899, the Ivory Soap company is attempting to get more woman to buy their product in the hopes that they will want to be like the "New Woman". The company plays on the idea that the "New Woman" is more likely to be doing physical activities and sweating while also maintaining her femininity, so she will need soap to continue to make her smell good.

Rond-Point de Champ-Élysées

This painting was done by the artist, Jean Béraud. In the painting, two women are having a conversation as they ride down the road in horse-drawn carriages. The painting is considered to capture the essence of the "New Woman" because the woman on the left is driving the carriage herself while her male companion sits along for the ride. She has also abandoned the traditional dress for a woman in the 19th century and, instead, chosen to wear a jacket and brightly colored tie. The women represents the independence and flare of the "New Woman".