Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity

Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity was written by Griselda Pollock in 1988, and later published in The Expanding Disclosure in 1992. Griselda Pollock is an art historian, and writes this article for fellow art historians. This is an article written to show the different approaches to femininity in the late 19th century, mainly dealing with the field of art. This article shows how during this time period there were women artists, but due to the gendered ruled ideas attached to art history, these women are largely ignored by art historians. Pollock thought that these women artists are primarily overlooked due to the fact that they are judged by the same standards that are affixed to the work of their male counterparts. But she argues that this should not be due to the fact that women during this period lived and worked in different "spaces" then men. In the introduction, Pollock starts to analyze how the art and public world during the late 19th century was directed towards masculine standards. That the standards connected to modern art are those set by men for men, leaving the female artists unaccounted for. She also goes on to say that the work produced by the women artist of this time period is different that that of their male equals due to the fact that the women of this era were limited to certain areas of life, there for restricting there subject matter and views. She explains this in telling how there were severe differences socially, economically, and individually among men and women during this time frame (Pollock, 247). Pollock does this through the article by using the Impressionist artists, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. She explicates the fact that these two artists' works are different in several degrees due to the fact that spaces they were bound to affected what they produced (Pollock 248). Before beginning with the Morisot and Cassatt in terms of what Pollock refers to as "spaces of femininity", let us address other aspects of this

Cited: Pollock, Griselda. "Modernity and the spaces of femininity". The Expanding Discourse. Westview Press- 1992; Pages 245-265