So, I was quite pleased with today's class discussions. To take a step further, think about what the two prints--"Good Counsel" and "Evil Counsel"--show about notions of Victorian femininity. On the one hand, we get a version of womanhood that is chaste and wise, able to provide valuable and presumably moral counsel. The older woman's sexuality is all but obscured by her clothing and stature. In the other, we get womanhood that is capable of being corrupted and of corrupting others. This version is also overtly sensual, with the tempter's hair flaring out and her countenance beseeching and beguiling her younger and more vulnerable companion.
Keep this dichotomy in mind as you read about Victorian notions of femininity for Tuesday. What qualities are associated with the "Angel in the House"? Does sexuality count as one of these qualities? Were women viewed as being corruptible? Although the "Counsel" prints provide us with dichotomous, seemingly opposed portrayals of womanhood, is it possible for that dichotomy to break down or become slippery? Is it possible for the good counselor in the first image to harbor the disturbing qualities associated with her evil counterpart? Just some thoughts to keep in mind.
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