A Cultural History of the Home in the Age of Enlightenment

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During the Enlightenment, the term 'home' evolved to encompass a defined physical space, a site of domestic life, and a concept tied to roots, origins, and retreat. This period prompted significant transformations in the understanding of home, manifesting in three key ways. First, literary and cultural influences shaped attitudes toward education, social order, sensibility, and sexuality. Second, visual and material culture played a crucial role, expressed through print, portraiture, literature, objects, and fashion. Third, industrial and sociological factors introduced concepts of luxury, progress, trade, technology, consumption, domesticity, and the distinctions between public and private spaces. The chapters explore these themes through various approaches, examining Enlightenment homes in terms of their meanings, the inhabitants, physical structures, furnishings, and the work conducted within. They also address the differing roles of men and women, the nature of hospitality, and the significance of religion in domestic life. Collectively, these discussions provide a comprehensive overview of the customs and operations of homes during the Enlightenment.