Theβ¬β Victorianβ¬β eraβ¬β spansβ¬β Queenβ¬β Victoriaβsβ¬β 63-yearβ¬β reignβ¬β overβ¬β Greatβ¬β Britainβ¬β andβ¬β Ireland,β¬β fromβ¬β 1837β¬ toβ¬β 1901.β¬β Duringβ¬β thisβ¬β time,β¬β Britainβ¬β becameβ¬β aβ¬β globalβ¬β superpower,β¬β expandingβ¬β itsβ¬β empireβ¬β andβ¬ experiencingβ¬β rapidβ¬β progressβ¬β inβ¬β science,β¬β industryβ¬β andβ¬β theβ¬β arts,β¬β asβ¬β wellβ¬β asβ¬β significantβ¬β politicalβ¬β andβ¬β social reforms that have shaped the modern world.β¬
βDuring the Victorian period men and womenβs roles became more sharply defined than at any time in history. In earlier centuries it had been usual for women to work alongside husbands and brothers in the family business. Living βover the shopβ made it easy for women to help out by serving customers or keeping accounts while also attending to their domestic duties.β - Kathryn Hughes, The British Libraryβs βGender roles in the 19th centuryβ
John Ruskin, an English writer and philosopher, reveals the rigid gender roles of the 19th century Victorian era were characterized by strict stereotypes that disadvantaged women. This period was defined by the "separate spheres" ideology that relegated men to the public sphere of work and economics, consigning women to domestic roles, reinforcing male dominance. These spheres supported by Darwinβs theory of "Survival of the Fittest," placed men higher on the evolutionary ladder and impacted all societal aspects, including employment, where only a third of women worked compared to two-thirds by 1978. For the upper-middle class, many women had never worked outside the home. Women were expected to live up to the image of βthe angel in the houseβ, to be the perfect wife and mother.
The early feminist movement emerged in the 1850s, advocating for equality in education, work, and voting rights despite these limitations. Figures like Queen Victoria opposed these efforts, viewing feminism as a "wicked folly" offering βGod created men and women differentlyβthen let them remain each in their own position.β Victorian-era gender stereotypes persisted well into the 20th century and continue to influence modern-day society.
Bowlesβ Drawing Book for Ladies is a manual for drawing or embroidering flowers. Drawing and embroidery were part of a conventional female education in the 18th and 19th centuries.