The Role of Women in the Enlightenment, Essay Example

The Salonnieres arrogated themselves the right to judge the artistic matters in the Old Regime France. Apparently there were quarrels over the operas of the French and Italians during the years of the 1750’s and 1770’s. At the end of the 1770’s there was a collapse of what was called a ‘polite society’ of which the Salonnieres were derived from and they lost their arbitrary illusionary position of taste with respect to artistic matters. (Pekacz, J. 1999). Salons are a chance for women and men to meet counterparts of their equal. In the 1600’s, Helen Forbes chaired a lovely salon. Gertrude Stein chaired another one who sought out the accomplished Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Juan Gris and Ernest Hemmingway.

The years of 1600-1700 were considered the years of enlightenment or the age of reason. This came to par because people began to “question how something happened, why it happened that way and who was responsible for it happening that way?” (Kuchinsky, C. 2007). It was through this age that modern science, creative thinking and philosophy were expanded most rapidly. This idea spread rapidly through Europe where the average man was no longer content with the ordinary response.  French philosopher, Rene Descartes was responsible for kicking off this new theory of thinking that gave rise with the age of reason.

Emilie du Chat let’s contributions helped shape the modern mathematics. Her most significant work came from her work with Voltaire at Cirey-sur-Blaise. She fully transcribed the book of Newton from the language of English to French. It was rumored that her books and lessons were often too harsh to accomplish. She had a brilliant mind in the mathematics field and it was often queried that she was quite ahead of her time.

Madame Roland was an accomplished girl during the French Revolution. Her paintings, music and literature soared. “She was said to have wept at the age of fourteen because she was not Roman or of Spartan decent.” (Chamber’s Book of Days). As an adult she became Ministry of the Home Interior of which many would call the falling of the monarch. She and her husband stood strong together through trials and tribulations during the Revolution. Madame often was dressed in pure white with her silky black hair and was a symbol of pure class and honor. She was a pillar of society. She received her modesty from her gracious and humble mother and her talent from her father, though it was believed he only had talent that of an average person. She went far beyond the average person in talent, education, grace and beauty.

Works Cited

Pekacz, Jolanta (1999) Journal of the History of Ideas Volume 60, No.2, 1999.

Kuchinsky, Charlotte (2007) The Age of Reason: What was it and what did it mean to mankind? Retrieved February 2, 2010 from, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/457445/the_age_of_reason_what_was_it_and_what.html

Chambers Book of Days (2009) Retrieved February 2, 2010 from, http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/nov/8.htm