title: Life into art and art into life: visualising the aesthetic woman or "high art maiden" of the Victorian "Renaissance.".
abstract: There has been a great deal of research concerning the effect of aestheticism on men in the late nineteenth century, especially in terms of their sexuality, but its impact on women has been largely dismissed as unnecessary, as women were naturally "feminine". This article examines whether "the self-absorption and heightened emotional life of Aestheticism" (J.B. Bullen, 1998 [Oxford: Oxford University Press]) was tolerable in women or if it was leading to disease, decay and corruption. Aestheticism's insistence on individuality and self-discovery were to have important consequences for women, fuelling the desire for a life of their own rather than solely service to others.
authors.affiliation: Southampton Institute, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D004954:Esthetics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D019513:Feminism / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D007206:Individuality; D054526:Men's Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D010151:Paintings / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D011037:Poetry as Topic / Q000266:history; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D019529:Sexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000208:ethnology; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D014933:Women's Rights / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history