Representing private lives of the Enlightenment

About this book

What constituted the 'private' in the eighteenth century? Taking case studies form Russia, France, Italy and England, specialists from a rage of disciplines analyse descriptions of the private situated largely outside the familial context: the nobleman at the theatre or in his study, the woman in her boudoir, portraitists and their subject, the solitary wanderer in the pulic garden, the penitent at confession. This critical approach provides a comparative framework that simultaneously confirms the Enlightemnent as a pan-European movement, both intellectually and socially, whilst uncovering striking counterpoints. What emerges is a unique sense of how individuals form different classes and cultures sought to map their social and domestic sphere, and an understanding of the permeable boundaries separating provate and pubic.--Provide by publisher.