Figure of a woman 1994

Edwin Austin Abbey made this chalk drawing of a standing woman in the late 19th or early 20th century. At this time, the role of women in Western society was a deeply contested issue. Many people held onto traditional views, but the "New Woman" was starting to appear as a feminist ideal in the arts, education, and employment. Abbey's drawing might at first seem old-fashioned. Yet, the loose, sketchy style suggests a modern sensibility. This was a time when art institutions like the Royal Academy were still powerful. But artists were also forming new groups, such as the New English Art Club, to challenge those traditional authorities. To properly understand this artwork, one might consult periodicals from the time. These resources reveal the competing ideas that shaped the image of women in society and in art. Art is not created in a vacuum, but emerges from a complex social and institutional context.