Heures Du Matin. Mme. A. Deveria c. 1830

Achille Devéria created "Heures Du Matin. Mme. A. Deveria" as a lithograph, capturing a moment in the daily life of a woman, likely in the early 19th century. During this period, women’s roles were largely confined to the domestic sphere, and images like these offer a glimpse into their private lives. The detailed rendering of the woman's dress and surroundings speaks to the expectations around appearance and social standing. She is presented in a moment of quiet reflection, leaning on a chair, her posture suggesting a sense of pensiveness or perhaps weariness. Consider what it meant for a woman to be seen in such a state, neither actively performing a task nor overtly displaying beauty. Does it challenge or reinforce the era's notions of femininity and worth? Devéria’s work invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between public image and private experience, especially for women in the 1800s.