The Eighteenth-Century Woman

by Olivier Bernier, Metropolitan Museum of Art (Contributor), Costume Institute (Contributor)

The hallmarks of the eighteenth century—its opulence, charm, wit, intelligence—are embodied in the age's remarkable women. These women held sway in the salons, in the councils of state, in the ballrooms, in the bedrooms; they enchanted (or intimidated) the most powerful of men and presided over an extraordinary cultural flowering of unprecedented luxury and sophistication. It is this captivating world that Olivier Bernier recreates. A world in which the shrewdness of Madame de Pompadour or the beauty of Madame du Barry could change the course of great nations. A world that could encompass the piquant frankness of Abigail Adams and the dark plotting of the queen of Naples. This world has been swept away, but its great ladies, the first modern women, still speak to us.

Fourteen dashing and sometimes tragic women—empress and dressmaker, bluestocking and courtesan—come to life here in a series of lavishly illustrated essays. Delightfully informative, this timely book charts the beginnings of women's liberation, illuminates the century for those who are unfamiliar with it, and provides new insights for those who know it well.



Foreword
Diana Vreeland

Preface
Olivier Bernier

Chapter 1: The Emergence of Power

Madame des Ursins
The Duchesse de Berry

Chapter 2: The Sway of Intelligence

Madame du Deffand
Madame de Pompadour

Chapter 3: Writer and Publicist

Betie Wolff
Madame Necker

Chapter 4: The Flesh Triumphant

Mademoiselle Clairon
Madame du Barry

Chapter 5: In Search of Freedom

Abigail Adams
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Chapter 6: Working Women

Mademoiselle Bertin
Madame Vigée-Lebrun

Chapter 7: To Rule a World

The Margravine of Bayreuth
Queen Maria Carolina

Source Notes

Selected Bibliography

Genres: History, Nonfiction, 18th Century, Historical, Biography, Reference, Womens

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Olga Nikolaeva · Rating 2 out of 5]

The very interesting subject doesn’t compensate for the writing style. Otherwise, a very light, Wikipedia-like read. No regrets but one specific comment - Jacques-Louis David was as pretentious as Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, he just didn’t have to work as hard as she did through his life, so spare me the comparison.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the mid and late 1700s, women were strong and independent. They influenced public opinion, ruled countries, set literary and artistic standards (salons), were fashionable and set standards for society. They did not think they were the same as men—they expected to be treated with deference and admiration. They were independent and made their own decisions. They were financially independent either from earning their own living or having access to the income from their dowries.

Most of the women portrayed were European. The lone American was Abigail Adams who was a true partner with her husband, John. Abigail died in 1818, and more than a century passed before women again thought of themselves as equal with men. In Europe, changes happened after the French Revolution.

The stories were interesting and make for a good history lesson. Everyone knows about Marie Antoinette, but her mother was an empress and a strong leader as was her sister, Maria Carolina who married the King of Naples.

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO GLAD I bought this book when I found it at the local used book store. Despite the fact that it's not a big book, and it profiles a lot of 18th century women, each woman's chapter is given plenty of room and doesn't feel rushed or lacking in any way (although several of these ladies were so fascinating that I'm going to have to find solo biographies on them). Lots of detail as to personality, costume and 18th century life - and a good number of photographs. Very enjoyable read, and one I'll be keeping in my collection.

[Marie Capet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Olivier Bernier. He is witty, informed and a great read. I'd wanted this book for a while and couldn't find it anywhere (I finally got it for $4 on Amazon and it was apparently formerly in the Gourmet Magazine library). Anyway, it's a great reminder that women in the 18th century had incredibly varied lives in France and ran businesses and pursued careers. It's a must read, I think for anyone looking for a survey in daily life in 18th c. France.

[Tocotin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I initially thought I would have. It is a compilation of short biographies of several prominent or successful women who left their mark on the 18th century (and sometimes on the years to come).

The 18th century was the time when women were much more independent and influential than in the centuries before – or after; their opinions mattered. I picked up this because I wanted to read about the Princesse des Ursins, and the first chapter was about her, but the author’s focus is not on royalty or even noblewomen – he writes about women artists and artisans, about working women, as well.

I also liked the descriptions of material culture of the age, the fact that it was the last time when even moderately well-off people in Europe were surrounded by beautiful, hand-crafted things in every moment of their life. Of course, that was the standard for countries in other parts of the world well into 19th century. But it is certainly something to consider when you’re interested in history. My heart aches to think how much of this has been lost forever (and I’ve always loved Rococo art, by the way!).

[Lyn Stapleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. A bit ho hum. Writing wasn’t very good and most of the women I knew about. So nothing new.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. Some of the names were familiar to me--Madame Pompadour, Madame DuBarry, Madame Vigee-Lebrun--but many were not. These women were bold and smart and influential in their salons. The author makes the point that the 19th century changed the equality of women until the 20th century took some of that back again. Maybe that is a bit strong because these 18th century women had much of their influence through their husbands not necessarily on their own.

An exception was Abigail Adams--the only American in the book--whose letters give us a record of her time and her relationship with her husband. She ran a farm when her husband was gone to government roles. She pleaded for the ladies and their role in the new government.

Madame Lebrun--I remembered a portrait she did of an aristocratic woman dressed as a milkmaid that was in the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame so it was fun to read about her career.

I made a list of the women and have been looking them up on Wikipedia to get another perspective--and maybe just to keep them straight--so many Madames, affairs, salons, etc.

[Alicja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a collection of bios of different women of the eighteenth century era. I enjoyed the stories and learnt a lot. The one downside was that I couldn't understand why some characters were chosen to be included in the book in the first place (for instance, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire) - I could not find anything exceptional about them. Also, on a couple of occasions author confused me by jumping from one fact to another, without 'filling in' the gaps. For instance, the margravine of Bayreuth and her husband are totally in love for the most of the story, yet we learn that as soon as she died he did not miss her much and instantly re-married. This is of course nothing out-of-ordinary, but it was just not explained or hinted at any point in the story and no explanation was given as why that might have been.

Overall however, I really enjoyed the stories - it was difficult to put the book down.

[Linda Edmonds Cerullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, short book on famous women from the 1700s. I must say I was intrigued with the selection of ladies the author chose. I knew some, but certainly not all of them and I look forward to hunting down biographies of these fascinating females. Highly recommend this book. It's compelling and shows that feminism has a long history. Regrettably these women should be more well-known and I congratulate Olivier Bernier for bringing their stories to light.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming novel that offers short biographies on wonderful women of the eighteenth century. Encompassing both the working class as well as the upper crust, Bernier takes us all across the world in a quest to uncover some of the most fascinating characters of their time. I enjoyed these glimpses for the most part, and was pleased to see some of the working class represented. A light, breezy afternoon read!

[Aletheia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been interested in history, so I was very pleased when I found this ebook on sale on Kobo. Women and history? Ticks all the boxes for me.

This was a very interesting read and I was able to learn a lot about all these different women, with different lifestyles and different personalities.

[reveurdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights a selection of extraordinary women, giving you an overview and an introduction to the subject. The focus is entirely on Europe and America. There are several women and angles to the overall story that I, personally, would have included.

[Lyn Sweetapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short biographies of some of the most powerful, but uncreditied women in 18th century Europe (including Abigail Adams).

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivier Bernier is an excellent popular historian. I read this with pleasure and went on to read his book about Louis XV.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, educational, and entertaining. There were some familiar faces along with those I was newly introduced to. I'm a sucker for all things 18th Century, and this was a real gem for me.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not fiction. About 1800 ladies and how their day today was diff fromour. Actually more entertaining than what you’d think.

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only one photo of extant dress. Still interesting.

[Kathy kennedy]

did not finish

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ingrid Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going back to France

We are definitely going back to France with new eyes. I am so angry that the citizens of France destroyed the lovely things in Versailles during the Revolution. They destroyed what they had payed for and beauty that could not be replaced.

I read these stories and kept having to stop to further research people for a more complete understanding of the woman and the context surrounding her life. I was already familiar with most of these women so this made interesting reading with the descriptions.