How Did Jean Jacques Rousseau Influence Women

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The Swiss philosopher, Jean–Jacques Rousseau, postulated that “Women, in general, possess no artistic sensibility…Their creations are as cold and pretty as women themselves” (Yudkin, 110). Rousseau wrote during the Enlightenment, a European period of intellectual expansion during the eighteenth century where philosophers explored the nature of religion, government, justice, and society. The ideas of the Enlightenment reflected across Europe—in rebellions, in essays, and in art—and spawned the concepts of equality and freedom, which revolutionized western civilization and the entire course of history. Yet, despite the social expansion of the period, the Enlightened definition of equality did not include women. Even Rousseau,
Interestingly, the professional standards for women artists parallel the restrictive social standards for women in everyday life. In the nineteenth century, women were expected to be homemakers and mothers; domestic responsibilities were duty of women. Put differently, women artists were regarded as ladies who painted, and the title of artist was solely bestowed upon men. With the prestigious societal label of artist, men were granted the liberty to openly pursue their careers. Male artists were employed as professional painters, often commissioned to paint portraits or commemorative scenes, were permitted to paint a wide variety of subjects, ranging from grassy meadows to exposed female bodies, and were granted more resources to further their careers, such as public education and gallery exhibitions. In contrast, women artists often painted in the home, taking up art as a leisurely activity, were only permitted to paint certain subjects, such as landscapes and other domestic scenes, and were denied access to public education and exhibitions, often gaining any professional training from private, male