Penelope, A Doorway Chelsea 1888 - 1889

Editor: This is Theodore Roussel's "Penelope, A Doorway Chelsea," an etching from 1888-89. I'm immediately drawn to the contrast between the dark doorway and the figure within. What do you see in this piece, considering its historical context? Curator: I see Roussel engaging with the evolving role of women in late 19th-century London society. The doorway acts as a frame, highlighting the figure almost like a specimen. Was she a model? What does the title mean to evoke? Editor: The title makes me wonder if there’s an intended allusion to Homer’s Penelope and notions of domesticity? Curator: Precisely! But is it honoring or questioning those ideals? Etchings, as a print medium, also democratized art. Did representing working-class women, within these idealized frameworks, alter reception? How might contemporaneous audiences read the class politics, through composition, scale, and display location in exhibiting institutions? Editor: I hadn't considered the print medium as part of the social message itself. Do we know where this work was initially exhibited? Curator: Museum archives tell us these were often shown alongside paintings, blurring those boundaries. Was this undermining traditional art hierarchies? Was this championing a new audience of art buyers or was it still catering towards wealth patrons and critics who define popular appeal? Editor: This gives me so much to think about regarding how artistic and social contexts intertwine to shape how we view an artwork like this. Curator: Indeed. Artworks such as this etching, prompt consideration of class, gender and media itself, inviting more questioning about how such elements determine not just how things looked but who got to do the looking.