Women and American art -- early 1800s

• ìWomanî as ideal of ìnature,î ìnaturalnessî=

  • Body, abundance, sexually available; pure and seductive
  • Emotional & unintellectual; need of rescuing
  • Domestic ìangel of the house,î guardian of virtue

• ìMotherî the ideal of domestic harmony

  • Harmony of household = harmony of nation

• Ambivalent treatment of women and African Americans within domestic scenes

• Domestic interiors reflected much about the social, economic, political (and military) history of the time

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