Constructions of the Feminine Interior

Alfred Stevens, Lady with a Japanese Doll

Alfred Stevens, Lady with a Japanese Doll, Private Collection

This subproject investigates painted interiors from the seventeenth through the early twentieth century as gendered fictions. They are considered as representing or reflecting dominant constructs of feminine behavior as filtered through the eye of the male viewer and artist. The subproject will highlight shifts in the relationship between the interior and exterior worlds and in conceptions of femininity and masculinity.

Summary