Many of the Bluestocking women were part of the aristocratic class, or at
least very wealthy. Few women could afford to study the classical history
of ancient Greece and Rome (learn Latin and Greek, buy expensive books).
Few women could in addition, afford teachers of painting, sculpting,
poetry, etc., let alone afford to buy the expensive clothing to appear
(or be invited to salonnière). Those not very wealthy could
attend as easily as Cinderella could appear at a prince's Ball wearing
slippers of cut diamonds.
As Bluestocking women aged, these women might be viewed as social outcasts
(indeed they were outcasts, as women were not supposed to be intellectual,
nor accomplished at more than proper smalltalk, certainly not to be
intellectual or educated)! Bluestocking women required some form of
metaphores or propaganda
to make them socially acceptable (or objects of satire when attacked).
Bluestocking women appeared in portraiture,
thus propaganda was used in visual art (just as "perspective" was used in
Renaissance art).
What were some of the methods used in the rhetoric of Bluestocking portraiture?
The portrait of Sarah Trimmer uses a common rhetorical device: Sarah Trimmer is
pictured holding a quill, ink pot nearby, writing on a pad of paper. In addition,
Sarah Trimmer's left arm is resting upon the Bible (similar to Christ upon the
cross: a common rhetrical device used in Renaissance art). In addition, Sarah
Trimmer holds a pair of glasses (authoritative old age) in her left hand.
Sarah Trimmer stares off into the distance, into contemplation. Another rhetorical
device is the clothing of Sarah Trimmer: proper hat, shawl, neck covered: a proper
life. Hester Lynch Piozzi, dressed in a costume of genteel, pious old age. Very
proper: neck covered by lace, a bow, a fur boa. She wears a very appropriate
lace-trimmed white cap. Hester sits slightly forward in her chair, a signal of
youth mixed with the clothing of proper old age. Hester looks directly at the viewer,
another signal of youth, as well as intelligence. There is a youthful touch of rose
coloring in Hester's hair-ribbon, neck bow, and her cheeks. The overall impression
is of a kindly, learned, serene woman. Portraits in old age should represent piety
(religion being a major part of political ideology). While in youth, the subject
may directly stare from a painting, but at an advanced age, a rhetorical code is
to look at no particular object towards the left (or right): left signifying the
past, (right signifying the future). Left: accomplishments in (past) life. Right:
things to look forward to (such as residing in a just heaven). For an old woman:
face looking modestly downward. Dress costume should be conservative: ribbons,
lace, a proper bonnet, muted grey, black or white colors, no riot of bright
colors of youth such as sexually suggestive reds. Nothing to suggest
intellectuality such as books, controversial statues, art objects or paintings,
or items related to work such as those of Elizabeth Carter (pens & ink: writers);
or Anne Damer (chisel: woodcuts, or sculpture), etc.
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