Commentaries on women, men, and marriage were popular themes for 19th century illustrations, which often decorated parlor or sitting room walls. Artemas Alden of Barre, Massachusetts, chose to illustrate “Stages of Woman’s Life from infancy to the brink of grave.” The caption, “The virtuous woman is a crown to her husband” epitomizes the period’s image of women as inculcators and preservers of domestic virtue. The hourglasses, clock, and stag remind viewers of their own fleeting mortality.
Alden, Artemas. The Life and Age of Woman. ca. 1840. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/2000-20-506/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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