Man Makes the Beads of Life but Woman Must Thread Them 

Frances Macdonald made this watercolor painting titled, *Man Makes the Beads of Life but Woman Must Thread Them,* in Scotland, during the late 19th and early 20th century. It suggests the different roles assigned to men and women in the creation and maintenance of life. Macdonald was part of the Glasgow School, a movement that often challenged Victorian social norms through art. This work reflects the cultural debates about gender roles, particularly the idea that men were the creators and women were responsible for caregiving and emotional labor. The composition uses visual metaphors such as the beads and thread to symbolize the different contributions of men and women to life. The painting's title and imagery prompt reflection on whether these roles are natural or socially constructed and whether the institutions of marriage and family serve everyone equally. To fully grasp its significance, one might research the social history of gender in Scotland and consider feminist art history of the period. In that way we can understand the ways that art both reflects and shapes our understanding of the world.