"My Wife is a Woman of Mind" from George Cruikshank's Steel Etchings to The Comic Almanacks: 1835-1853 (top left) c. 1847 - 1880

George Cruikshank rendered "My Wife is a Woman of Mind" as one of his Steel Etchings to The Comic Almanacks between 1835 and 1853. Here we observe a woman deeply absorbed in her reading. The woman at her desk, immersed in study, speaks to a recurring motif: the learned woman. In ancient Greece, we find Sappho, celebrated for her poetry and intellect. Yet, this image is far from celebratory. While the pursuit of knowledge is typically seen as enlightening, here, it casts a shadow upon domestic life. The husband, caught in the throes of parental duty, and the distressed children, highlight a role reversal, a topsy-turvy world where traditional roles are subverted by intellect. Such depictions tap into deep-seated anxieties about women's roles, a fear that intellectual pursuits might detract from their 'natural' duties. This fear, like a persistent echo, reverberates through centuries, manifesting in various forms. The tension between intellect and domesticity engages us on a subconscious level, stirring a potent mix of cultural expectations.