Public Secondary Education of Young Women, 1884 1884

This bronze plaquette, ‘Public Secondary Education of Young Women,’ was made by Louis-Oscar Roty in 1884. It’s a fascinating piece that allows us to consider the role of women in late 19th-century France. The image presents two women in classical garb, one seemingly teaching the other from a book. The Latin inscription around the edge translates to "the state teaches young women to be mothers of men." We see here a very specific cultural project which connects the education of women to their future role within the domestic sphere. France after the revolution saw the rise of Republican values, but these often sat alongside socially conservative ideas about gender roles. The plaquette is a reminder that social progress is never linear or simple. Examining official records from the French Ministry of Education and publications from the period can help us to better understand the debates around women's education at this time and to interpret Roty's work in its full social and institutional context.