This scene, reminiscent of a formal 19th-century reception, unfolds in a setting that suggests opulence and high status. Illustration from Grandville's 'Les Métamorphoses du jour', 1854. rich woman ...

In 19th-century Britain and North America, women were regarded as the ‘weaker sex’. Their ability to bear children gave rise to a feminine ideal based on marriage and motherhood, while their ...