Reading 1897

Henri Fantin-Latour made this lithograph called "Reading" at some point during his career in 19th-century France. The piece depicts a woman, head bowed, absorbed in a book. We know Fantin-Latour was interested in the burgeoning availability of literature at this time, especially how it was consumed by women. Here, the act of reading suggests a private, intellectual life, hinting at the expanding roles for women in society. Consider the quiet dignity of the figure; there's no sense of this being a sentimental or eroticized image of a woman, as was so common in French art at this time. To fully appreciate this, research into the social and cultural history of 19th-century France is invaluable. What was the status of women's education? How did new technologies of printing impact French society? These are all vital questions when we consider art as a mirror to, and critique of, its time.