| dc.description.abstract | In the 1870s and 80s, the interior decoration of the middle-class
home was the focus of a great deal of attention, as reflected in a
dramatic increase in the literature on this subject in the form of
handbooks 'for those about to furnish', articles in women's magazines,
trade Journals and publications for artists and architects. This
literature expressed the most advanced ideas of the day and actively
promoted such progressive concepts as individual freedom of expression,
cosmopolitan internationalism, the need for improvement in the
position of women, and the application of new scientific theories
This thesis traces these ideas to the political ideology of modern
British liberalism which was at its most influential during this
period Liberal writers, in particular John Stuart Mill, wrote
persuasively about the primacy of the private sphere of life In
their view, it was only in private life that man could develop true
individuality through freedom of choice, this concept had important
implications for the appearance of the home Many of those who wrote
on interior decoration had read Mill, or were involved with reform
movements or political activities inspired by liberal theories As a
result, they tried to bring about social change through the application.
of liberal principles to the decoration of the middle-class
home
There were also, however, sharp disagreements expressed in the
decorating literature about what constituted the optimal middle-class
interior These conflicts reflected areas of unresolvable tension
within the ideological framework of liberalism; their impact on
interior decoration is explored as well
As the influence of liberalism waned, the values expressed in the
literature on decoration changed correspondingly The importance of
the home in the formation of national character was given greater
emphasis and a return to 'correct' and traditional national styles was
seen as a necessary protection against both internal weakness and the
'foreign contagion' of European styles such as Art Nouveau | en_US |
