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Abstract

The purpose of this article was to examine correlations between the roles of Victorian women in the home and aesthetics of the home environment. Methodology was historical using a variety of primary and secondary sources. Conclusions of the study indicated that furnishings in the near environment were selected as symbols for prevailing beliefs and attitudes about women's roles. Handmade furnishings were emphasized by Victorians as evidence that the wife cared enough about home and family to invest considerable time in adornment of the home. The materials and motifs of both handmade and purchased accessories were consciously selected to convey messages, such as respect for nature, primacy of family life, and cultural interests. Victorians regarded interiors as expressions of a woman's ability to make appropriate decisions. Since motherhood was idealized as the center of a family's well–being, her creation and selection of furnishings represented the entire family's social position.

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Victorian Women's Roles and the Concept of Home as Expressed through Aesthetics

Abstract

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References